Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany has made Manchester is home since joining the club – and now he has pledged to give money back to those living in the city who do not have a home.
The Premier League star has pledged to give all the profits from his testimonial match – a celebratory game played when a player reaches the milestone of ten years at a single club – to the homeless as part of Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham’s new ‘Tackle4MCR’ campaign.
I am so grateful to Vincent for throwing his weight behind our drive to end rough-sleeping in GM. Brilliant move from an inspirational man. https://t.co/lIQHa5y23e
— Andy Burnham (@AndyBurnhamGM) September 27, 2018
Testimonials were a huge part of a footballer’s career in the days before the Premier League era of ever-increasing wage. The gate receipts from the showpiece match were often given to the player to tide them through retirement back when a footballer was more likely to become a pub landlord than a global superstar after hanging up their boots.
Now it is more common to see the proceeds donated to good causes, but that does little to diminish Kompany’s gesture which aims to support Burnham’s bid to end rough sleeping in Manchester by 2020.
“I’ve received much from Manchester,” said the Belgian. “Over the past decade I’ve been lucky to have witnessed and played a part in Manchester City’s rise as a club and a brand. This has also run parallel alongside the rise of a whole region.
