Manchester City star Georgia Stanway sends message to young MENA female footballers

Dubai: Manchester City star Georgia Stanway has sent a message to aspiring female footballers in the MENA region to mark the club’s #SameGoals campaign.

Now in its fourth year, City’s #SameGoals initiative aims to inspire the next generation of female footballers around the world, with all participants set to receive a special limited-edition football provided by Puma.

Stanway, who has been a City player for six years having joined the club at the age of 16, encouraged young females in MENA to simply get out onto the pitch and enjoy playing football.

The 22-year-old, one of the game’s brightest talents, said: “I would like to tell young girls in the MENA region that regardless of age or ability, there is no pressure. Just go out there and play with a smile. Playing football, especially at a young age, is all about having fun. It’s a way of expressing who you are and what you want to be, so just enjoy yourself.

“The #SameGoals campaign is fantastic because it gets more girls around the world into football and gives them equal opportunities. Each year it becomes bigger and there’s now more access to football for females. If a programme such as #SameGoals had been available in my town when I was growing up, I would have got involved immediately because I had such a huge love for football.

“As players, we can run clinics, get involved and inspire young girls on a match day, on TV and via social media. As long as we’re spreading the message as much as we can, that’s the most important thing. The campaign is brilliant and if we can inspire one girl, we’ve done our job. If we’re able to inspire thousands, that’s even better.”

To receive a free Puma football, girls simply need to post a video on Twitter, Instagram or TikTok which shows them scoring, or saving, a goal, using #SameGoals, or upload the video on the City website.