Brighton & Hove Albion defender Leon Balogun has pledged 1% of his earnings to join the growing social impact movement in football, Common Goal.
The former Bundesliga player who joined Brighton last summer, becomes the 68th player and the second Nigeria international, after William Troost Ekong, to join the cause that empowers football to engender positive social change throughout the world.
“As football players, we enjoy a high place in society and we have a very important role to play because of this,” Balogun revealed in a video made available to Completesportsnigeria.com
“Joining Common Goal gives me the opportunity to actively help and support people in their communities and open up doors to a better life.”
Brighton captain Bruno Saltor, who was one of the first batch of players to join the movement in 2017, welcomed Balogun to the team.
“I am thrilled that Leon has been inspired by seeing what we’re achieving in Common Goal and has stepped forward to join us in helping others through football,” Saltor said of Balogun
“I hope this will inspire more players in the Premier League, and beyond, to take the pledge.”
Less than a year and a half since the kick off of the project, Common Goal has already raised over $1 million and boasts a unique team of 68 male and female players covering 6 continents.
Balogun is the 7th Premier League player to commit a fraction of their salary to community organisations, following Juan Mata (Manchester United), Charlie Daniels (Bournemouth), Alfie Mawson (Fulham), Kasper Schmeichel (Leicester), Isaac Christie-Davies (Liverpool), and Brighton captain, Bruno Saltor.
Also in the Common Goal team are Tabea Kemme (Arsenal), Jane Ross (West Ham), Tessel Middag (West Ham), Siobhan Chamberlain (Manchester United) and Pauline Bremer (Manchester City), representing female football in England.
The only coach to have joined Common Goal from the UK so far is also a woman, Manchester United Women’s Head Coach, Casey Stoney MBE.