The 36-year-old Mikel has retired from professional football, but he has maintained a presence in Nigerian young teams through his foundation.
“When you’re a kid these days, you’re either playing a sport or you’re living on the streets,” he remarked.
Like these kids, I decided to pursue athletics, and it transformed my life.
Football has changed my life in ways I cannot fathom.
“It feels like yesterday when I was this age.”
Nahimul Islam, a 25-year-old founder, established Wapping FC in Mile End, East London, at the age of 17 with the goal of providing a safe space for at-rιsk youth to play football.
Of the 250 kids now registered with them, 50 are female and 16 have various types of disabilities.
Training costs £5 each week for parents, but the club will do all it can to help those who are financially strapped.
“This incredible grant will help us give the boys high-class training and facilities without passing that cost on to mum and dad back home,” Nahimul said, adding, “We operate in one of the most deprived areas of the country.”The players are inspired when Mikel comes to visit the club.
“They see what’s actually achievable.”
With ages ranging from eleven to thirteen, Mikel interacted with twenty children.
The former Chelsea star skipped professional coaching in favour of playing on any available patch of grass with his pals and a battered ball while he was a kid in Nigeria.
But he thinks the youngsters he observed training in football felt the same delight he had.
What I tell students at this age is don’t look at the money or celebrity that comes with football now,” Mikel remarked, adding that he has launched his second series of The Obi One Podcast.
Time will fly by, so savor every moment you spend with your friends.
You aren’t playing football with the proper motivations if you’re only concerned about the Ferrari and the expensive watches.
“Though wealth passes, this happiness fades with time.”
“Proud supporter” is the word that Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer has used to describe herself in relation to The Sun’s Footie For All campaign.
After many children dropped out of local sports groups due to the cost-of-living problem, she lauded our plan to invest £150,000 into grassroots football with the support of Tesco.
In the meantime, we surprised the winners of our Footie For All Fund grants with Joey Essex, a lover of Towie football, and John Obi Mikel, a former Chelsea star.
Speaking to The Sun today at the FA’s national base in Burton upon Trent, Staffs, the Culture Secretary emphasized the need of providing football access to all.
I’m happy to sаy that I’m rooting for The Sun’s campaign.
“Footie For All is complementary to that,” the spokesperson said, explaining that they are working with the athletic groups, the Department for Education, and the Department of Health to accomplish their goals.
Approximately thirty brand new, state-of-the-art pitches will be constructed around the nation as part of a £30 million initiative, which the minister was speaking at the unveiling of.
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Joey, a fan favourite on television, was also seen practicing with the Essex-based nonprofit Broomfield FC, which helps disabled youngsters.
In order to cover the costs of pitch hire and specialized staff so that the sessions remain free for kids, the club was awarded one of our 1,500 £1,000 grants.
“Watching the impact on these kids’ self-esteem and the joy they derive from playing is incredible,” Joey, who grew up watching Millwall with his dad, said. I’m delighted to back Footie For All.
After receiving a donation as well, John Obi of Chelsea was greeted by an enthusiastic crowd of young players when he visited Wapping FC in East London.
“When you’re a kid these days, you’re either playing a sport or you’re living on the streets,” he remarked.
Sport was my life-altering decision, and I made it just like these kids. In the absence of football, I am unsure of my identity.
It seems like only yesterday that I was this age.
It’s wonderful to see children playing and having fun. “That is the most crucial part.”
Statistics showed that many young children were dropping out of local sports groups due to the cost-of-living crisis, so this year The Sun established Footie For All.
A total of 150 grassroots football teams that engage with youths under the age of 18 were invited to apply for a grant of £1,000 apiece.
The Stronger Starts campaign, which offers nutritious food and activities to kids, is a big reason why Tesco generously contributed the grant.
We have been supporting children’s football clubs across the United Kingdom, including dozens of girls’ teams, since September through our relationship with the grocery giant. This includes providing essentials like kits, free spots, and the cost of pitch hire.
We already have the support of England captain Millie Bright for our Footie For All initiative.
“The Sun and Tesco are doing amazing things to support local teams,” she exclaimed.
As a result, many kids will be able to continue playing. Also, they never know which of the children they assist may grow up to be lionesses.
My parents had to pry me away from the football field when I was a little boy.
But I didn’t realize how much I enjoyed it until a few buddies dragged me to Killamarsh Dynamos, a local club, and from then on, it consumed me.
Without playing when I was little, I wouldn’t be where I am now; it opened up a whole new universe to me when I was nine years old.
“It breaks my heart to hear that some children won’t have the same opportunities due to financial constraints.”