Juan Mata Pledges To Donate One Per Cent Of His Salary To Charity

Juan Mata is widely recognised as one of the nicest people in football and he has further backed up that reputation with his latest move.

Today, in a lengthy column for The Players Tribune, the Manchester United man has launched 'Common Goal' - an initiative in which he has pledged to donate one per cent of the salary he earns to a global charity which strives to give support to disadvantaged children through football.

Mata, has called for other players to join him in his project and wants to assemble a full XI of players who will donate one per cent of their wage to charity.

Speaking about his pledge, the Spaniard is quoted by The Telegraph as saying:

"What we're trying to do is define a shared social agenda for football. Common Goal goes beyond individual brands and egos to deliver a greater impact. By making the pledge, we can form a lasting connection between football as a business and football as a tool for social change.

"We live by this mantra on the pitch, yet we rarely see it play out in the social impact space, which is dominated by individual initiatives.

"Through Common Goal we're creating a collaborative way for football to give back to society. I urge my fellow players to get involved."

It's a wonderful gesture from a humble, likeable man who happens to be an incredibly gifted footballer. Social media have been giving Mata plenty of love as a result of his pledge:

Here's hoping other footballers join Mata in his movement.

To find out more about Common Goal, visit http://www.common-goal.org/.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Juan Mata, Manchester United

Josh Lawless

Josh is a writer who specialises in football and wrestling. He has been published by Curzon Ashton FC, Late Tackle, Manchester City FC, The Mirror, Read Man City and Manchester Evening News. He provides coverage of professional wrestling and has interviewed some of the biggest names in the field - including the first UK interview with The Hardy Boyz after their return to WWE. He has never sported a pair of Lonsdale Slip-ons, contrary to reports.

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