English Premier League winners and European Champions League finalists Arsenal donate socks worn by their footballers to help care for rescued donkeys and horses at sanctuaries across the UK, following star midfielder Kai Havertz’s revelation that he has loved the animals since childhood.
The Premier League champions have partnered with animal welfare charity Redwings, which uses the socks to protect sensitive legs from flies, secure veterinary bandages and assist with hoof care.
The move came following star attacking midfielder Kai Havertz revealing his lifelong affection for ‘wonderful’ donkeys because of the peace which the animals bring him away from the football pitch.
Havertz, who scored a goal in his team’s loss on penalties to French giants Paris St-Germain in the European showpiece final, was once nicknamed ‘The Donkey’ – usually an insult to a footballer – during his time at former club Chelsea.
The German international, part of his national squad for the upcoming World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the USA, said: ‘Yes, the love was always there. Specifically, with me, for donkeys.
‘It somehow started for me at a young age that I somehow developed a love like that. The boys (his teammates) know about it too.
‘There are one or two who make jokes about it. For me personally, animal welfare in general is a very, very important topic. I love animals. I have three dogs at home. We have donkeys in Germany. And generally, a donkey is a wonderful animal.’
The socks are being used at a centre in Norfolk to protect the animals’ sensitive legs from flies, hold vet bandages in place, and hold back hair on their legs while they get their feet trimmed.
Havertz grew up spending time with rescued donkeys at a sanctuary near his hometown of Aachen in Germany. He even has a foal named after him at The Donkey Sanctuary in Sidmouth, Devon, in south west England.
Historically, donkeys have been used as beasts of burden and some still pull carts around farms in the UK and give rides along beaches for children, although both these practises are dying out.
However they are still utilised to pull ploughs as they cause very little damage to soil, and haul logs in woodland, especially in areas which vehicles find it difficult to access.
These activities can cause stress on their bodies and the animals are also prone to suffering from parasites, abdominal pain and injuries to feet.
Nicola Knight of Redwings, which operates 11 centres across England and Scotland, said: ‘This was one of the more unusual donations we’ve been offered here at Redwings, but professional football socks, which these days are often footless by design, can be invaluable – they’re a game changer you might say.
‘They are a fantastic bit of kit and we’re so pleased that Arsenal reached out to us. This inspired donation has been very well received.’
Michael Lloyd, Arsenal FC’s sustainability manager, added: ‘We’re always looking for ways to reduce waste and make a positive impact through the actions we take as a club, and it’s great we can work together to repurpose our old kit towards the care and wellbeing of animals.’
