George Friend, a former defender for Middlesbrough, has recently joined a university in order to establish a scholarship program for aspiring football players.
The 34-year-old former Boro player, who played there for a total of eight seasons, has established the George Friend Scholarship in conjunction with Teesside University.
It will give £1,000 to each of three students so that they can continue their education without financial strain.
Mr. Friend expressed his desire that the awardees would one day play at the professional level.
Students must successfully demonstrate their athletic ability and high potential in football in addition to securing a spot on the university's Football Performance Pathway program for the fall of 2022 in order to be eligible for this scholarship.
According to the university, the program will provide the student with "high quality football training" in addition to the student's degree.
Mr. Friend, who has since moved on to play for Birmingham City after having his contract with Boro terminated in 2020, remarked that he was "extremely proud" of the scholarship.
"Students have the opportunity to study in the field of their choice while also continuing to work toward their athletic objectives by practicing and competing at a high level in football," he explained.
As a direct result of participating in this program, I believe that some of the candidates will eventually be offered playing contracts by professional clubs.
In doing so, he follows in the footsteps of Beth Mead, a forward for Arsenal and a star player for the England team that won Euro 2022, by establishing a scholarship at the university for four students.
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