MUMBAI: In what will be an historic first, three Manchester United first-team footballers will travel to India in December for the launch of the third edition of Apollo Tyres’ “United We Play” grassroots football initiative.
Reds trio David De Gea, Anthony Elanga and Donny van de Beek will all be guests of Apollo Tyres next month, with the players set to be in Goa on December 1 for the event, Manchester Evening News reports.
The visit to India will be the first for any current first-team players from United’s squad. The initiative by the leading tyre maker, a Global Partner and Sponsor of the Premier League giants, aims to support young footballers in India by providing them with a platform to showcase their skills – all with the objective of motivating aspiring young stars to continue playing the game.
The second edition of United We Play, which was launched with a virtual interaction with Manchester United legend Dimitar Berbatov, took place earlier this year. Over 5,000 aspiring players from India took part in the programme. For the final part, four players visited Old Trafford and took part in activities such as a matchday experience and training sessions with United’s Soccer School coaches. In addition to this, the winners were able to speak to some of the club’s greatest players during a meet-and-greet session.
United We Play is a pan-India initiative by Apollo Tyres and Manchester United to support young footballers in India by giving them a platform to showcase their skills. In the first season of United We Play, over 4,000 players from across the country participated in a hybrid programme comprising on-ground trials and virtual sessions with Manchester United Soccer Schools’ coaches.
