Manchester United continue to spread that ethos across the globe, with the Premier League giants teaming up with DHL to deliver a professional-grade, all-weather football pitch to one of the most geographically isolated communities in the world. Located 140km and more than four hours from the nearest major city, Chiang Mai, and a 2.5-hour round trip from the closest functional football pitch, Mae Suek in Thailand is home to 11 villages and 11,577 people who share a love for the beautiful game and Manchester United in particular.
With ex-Red Devils left-back Patrice Evra making a special appearance at the official unveiling of an exciting project, current United skipper Fernandes said: “It is projects like this that inspire young children from around the world to believe that they can one day play at the Theatre of Dreams. The enjoyment and the passion to play football is the same, whether it is on your local pitch or in front of 75,000 fans at Old Trafford. It’s a great project and I know it will be enjoyed by the children and wider community of Mae Suek.”
Red Devils forward Matheus Cunha went on to say, having started out in his native Brazil before heading to Europe: “When I look back at my experience as a child, it was all about playing with total freedom. I never thought about tactics, I just played! That freedom improved me so much because it allowed me to meet people of all different ages who each taught me something new. Having a coach and a place to play helped me become a better person as I grew up. My childhood was defined by that dream of becoming a footballer, so it is amazing to see these kids getting that same opportunity, with the help of this professional level pitch.”