Cunha continues to unlock full potential in his game at 26 years of age. He hopes to be a source of inspiration to others and is proud to see United teaming up with DHL to deliver a professional-grade football pitch to a remote region in Asia.
Extreme weather conditions that frequently render local fields unusable, combined with a mountainous terrain that offers very little flat ground, has meant that Mae Suek in Thailand has long struggled with a lack of safe sporting facilities, which sidelines the community’s passion for playing football. DHL, together with United, have surprised the community by providing high-quality infrastructure on Jericho Farm. The 9x9 pitch is made to world-class standards, featuring premium FIFA Grade 4G turf, similar to what is found at Manchester United’s Carrington training ground.
Patrice Evra, a Champions League winner from United’s not too distant past, made a special appearance at the unveiling of that project. Current Red Devils star Mason Mount said: “It’s an amazing project to be able to supply a pitch in such a remote area. It’s magical for the kids in that local area to see a pitch like that. To see that quality of pitch and how lucky we are to be able to play on such pitches, you want everyone to be able to experience something like that. I know a lot of the planning that has gone into it has been very difficult and taken a lot of time to sort everything out, but what an amazing story and for the kids it will be so special.”
United and England defender Harry Maguire said of the need to support grassroots projects in any way possible, having benefitted himself from access to high-quality facilities: “We were lucky to have a good football pitch at school, and as soon as I got home, I’d head straight to the local park to play with my brothers and friends. I had great access to pitches growing up, and honestly, if it wasn't for that, I wouldn’t be sitting here today. By giving this community the same opportunity to go out and play, you never know where it could eventually take them.”