Your club is probably busy in the January transfer market right now – and thanks to eBay's The Dream Transfer campaign, your Sunday League team can sign a genuine superstar too.
Legendary football stars England Lioness Eni Aluko and ex-Real Madrid player Roberto Carlos are both available this month, with the best part being that you won't have to bid millions for either. The two players will be listed for just £5 on the site – with all proceeds going towards sports-based charity Football Beyond Borders (FBB).
"eBay is a brand that I’m very familiar with – I use eBay a lot myself – and I really love the concept around eBay being for everyone," Eni Aluko told FFT. "Everyone has access to eBay and that message translates to football. Being able to join a Sunday League team, having been at the top of the game, it’s really nice and teams being able to bid the price of a pint for me to turn up – I think that’s cool!"
FBB is a charity that Aluko has worked with before, too. The organisation gives help to young people who are from disadvantaged backgrounds and disengaged at school. They establish relationships with these kids, engage in their passions and help them finish school with good grades so that the transition to adulthood is easier.
"Football Beyond Borders is a charity I’ve worked with before," Eni says. "On all levels, I’ve been really taken by the campaign. And beyond that, it’s an important message in football. In the last couple of years, there’s been a bit of a gap between football and its fans so it’s important to have these campaigns that really explain where it all starts, in the community. That’s where the heart of football really is."
“We’re so happy to partner with eBay for Charity on Dream Transfer to raise important funds to support young people across the UK," Matt Pywowar, Head of Fundraising at Football Beyond Borders adds. "Football unites us on every level and enables us to be there for the community in many different ways, helping to drive a more equal and inclusive society in which everyone has the opportunity to develop the skills to succeed in education, work and public life."
On Deadline Day – that's January 31 – the winning bidders will be announced, just like in the Premier League and Aluko and Carlos will get to find out which teams they're going to play for. So why should you bid for Eni? What's her pitch to prospective Sunday League sides?
"Well, you can see a lot of clips on YouTube of me scoring goals, running past defenders for England, for Chelsea and Juventus," she says. "I’ll turn up fit and I think I’ve still got the skills – maybe I’ve lost a bit of pace! – but I still turn up for five-a-side and I still score a lot of goals. But you’ll be getting a player with fitness levels, speed, scoring ability as evidenced by what you can see on YouTube. So bid on me!"
If that's not enough, the legendary Chris Kamara will be there to commentate on the Sunday League game itself. Unbelievable!
Entries are open now and will close on Friday 28th January. The winning teams will be announced on Monday 31st January in line with Deadline Day.
