Apollo Tyres' grassroots football prgm: Gary Neville to visit India

Apollo Tyres grassroots football Gary Neville

Former Manchester United superstar Gary Neville will be present in India to support the fourth edition of Apollo Tyres' grassroots football programme - "United We Play" - and motivate young kids playing football in the country.

It bears noting that Apollo Tyres is the global tyre partner of Manchester United.

Considered one of the greatest right-backs ever to play the game, Neville’s illustrious career includes eight English Premier League titles and two UEFA Champions League titles for Manchester United and he will be present at the finale of the fourth edition of Apollo Tyres' flagship grassroots football programme in Chandigarh on October 18.

A rare one-club man, Neville played for Manchester United for his entire career, spending almost 20 years with the club with a whopping 602 appearances for his boyhood club under his belt. He has also served English football with distinction with 85 appearances for his country over a 12-year period.

The United We Play programme is an on-ground grassroots football initiative, supported by Manchester United to encourage young football talent from across geographies by giving them a platform to showcase their skills with the objective of motivating aspiring footballers to continue playing and introducing them to global training methodologies.

On Neville’s visit to India, Rajesh Dahiya, vice president, Commercial, India and SAARC, Apollo Tyres Ltd, said, “We are thrilled and honoured to welcome a player of the stature of Gary Neville to India. His presence will surely elevate the experience for young budding footballers who will be a part of the United We Play finals in Chandigarh, inspiring young athletes with his illustrious journey in the sport and offering insights into his storied career.”

The launch of the fourth edition of United We Play took place in Kolkata in December last year, where former Manchester United and French footballer Louis Saha kicked off the programme.

The fourth edition of Apollo Tyres' grassroots football programme, United We Play ha been the biggest ever with a season-round programme, reaching out to 18 cities pan-India and over 15,000 young footballers across the country. Over 100 coaches were engaged through virtual Manchester United Soccer Schools training sessions, ensuring that the teachings and training methods reached to every footballer involved in the programme. In addition, the initiative was also expanded to more cities in the Asia Pacific and Middle East regions across cities such as Kathmandu, Bangkok, Dhaka and Dubai.