This week saw the return of the annual Soccer Aid event which saw a huge turnout thanks to which the collected proceeds from ticket sales would now be donated to charitable trusts through the UNICEF UK. This annual event is perhaps one of the many ways through which the footballing community has been able to delve into charitable practices over the years.
There have been efforts by clubs such as Chelsea and Real Madrid who have set up official foundations to aid with charitable work by working with Education and Health departments in their respective countries.
At the same time, giving back to the community has also been the choice for many footballers, most notable of whom would be Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford. The Englishman has constantly been in the news over the last two years for his meals programme and outreach work for backward communities in the UK.
Rashford’s work in England has been lauded by many football fans as well as government officials and the latter’s notice ultimately led to the English player being bestowed with the MBE award.
While anyone would certainly believe that Rashford is without a doubt the most charitable footballer in the UK, it seems like here too United have been bested by Liverpool as Mo Salah has earned that title for himself.
As per a recent publication made by the Sunday Times, the paper announced a 2022 list of most charitable personalities in the country and it is none other than Liverpool’s Egyptian talisman that has taken up the 8th position on the list. Salah joins F1 star Lewis Hamilton (5th) to be the only sportspersons to be in the top-10 spots of this list otherwise dominated by bankers for their philanthropic work.
The list estimates that Salah recently made a £2.5m donation (to the health sector) as his latest charitable act which is a significant amount considering that his wealth sat at £41m which is extremely low compared to the rest of the list’s occupants. Salah is also the only Premier League player to feature in the top 25 slots of this table.
Despite his work not being recognized by the mainstream media in England who have been carefully following Rashford in the meantime, Salah has truly surprised many fans with his appearances on the list and is now set to receive recognition for his work from fans.
While his contract situation with Liverpool may not be ideal right now for himself or for Liverpool fans, the fact that he is the most charitable footballer in the United Kingdom should perhaps also be considered before he is labelled with ‘selfish’ and ‘greedy’ characterizations.
