Gary Neville to visit India to support Grassroots Football Programme

Gary Neville to visit India to support Grassroots Football Programme (Reuters/File Photo)

Former Manchester United player Gary Neville will be present in India to support the grassroots football programme and motivate the young kids, who aspire to become professional footballers. Neville’s illustrious career includes eight Premier League titles and two UEFA Champions League trophies with Manchester United and he will be present in the finale of the fourth edition of Apollo Tyres flagship grassroots football programme. Neville will be seen in action at the grand finale of the fourth edition of United We Play in Chandigarh on October 18, 2024.

Neville played for Manchester United for his entire career, spending almost 20 years with the Red Devils, during which he made 602 appearances. He has also represented England in 85 matches over a period of 12 years.

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. The objective is to motivate aspiring footballers to continue playing and introduce them to global training methodologies.

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 event was 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 such as Kathmandu, Bangkok, Dhaka and Dubai.