Freestyle footballer Liv Cooke joins Mata's Common Goal

Freestyle football world champion Liv Cooke has joined Juan Mata's Common Goal initiative.

Common Goal is a charitable movement run by streetfootballworld that was launched with the support of the Manchester United attacker.

Mata announced in an article for The Players' Tribune that he was pledging one per cent of his salary to Common Goal, and called for other players to do the same.

The likes of Bayern Munich defender Mats Hummels, Borussia Dortmund's Shinji Kagawa and Juventus' Giorgio Chiellini have all signed up, along with Manchester United great Eric Cantona.

Cooke, the first British female professional football freestyler, has become the latest star to make the pledge, contributing to the rapidly growing football-based initiative tackling some of the world’s toughest social challenges.

A gifted young footballer, Cooke was part of the Blackburn Rovers Centre of Excellence before her promising potential career was cut short by injury.

She found the art of freestyle football via YouTube and quickly turned her hand to it. In August 2017, she became the youngest football freestyle champion in history, winning the Super Ball final in Prague.

On joining the initiative, she said: “One major thing I’ve learnt along the way is that football is more than just a game or a sport. Football can be a powerful force for good – used to tackle some of the world’s toughest social issues and make so many people’s lives better.

"I want to call freestylers from all over the world to come and join us, take the pledge, and help us make a difference."

Common Goal co-founder and CEO, Jurgen Griesbeck, added: “It is great to have Liv on board at Common Goal with us. She is a world champion and a pioneer in women’s freestyle football – she represents everything we are trying to do here.

"I know she has a great passion to give back to those less fortunate, and I’m excited to work with her going forward."