Manchester United players Juan Mata, Ander Herrera, and Scott McTominay took time out of their summer tour in the USA to attend an event raising awareness about the beauty and fragility of the oceans. The session featured talks by Parley founder Cyrill Gutsch, staff from adidas and Parley, plus legendary big wave surfer and Parley Ambassador Greg Long.

"Winning Manchester United as Parley supporters is like adding 18,000 times the size of the British Royal Navy to our movement,” says Cyrill Gutsh of the team’s massive global fanbase. “The challenge, the battle really, of driving plastic out of our society is happening in our minds. This football team has the energy, the creativity and the reach to bring our vision a big step closer to reality. A new economy with a new culture of creating materials and products, where the pollution of our oceans and of our bodies with plastic will not exist.”

Mata, Herrera, and McTominay were joined by members of the adidas Tango Squad – the innovative global football community. Throughout the day they learned about the immense threat posed by marine plastic pollution, and about the importance of encouraging greater action amongst the international community – and how they can use their massive influence for the oceans.

“By taking time to understand the problem, we hope that we can use our influence to help educate the world to the scale of the issue,” says Ander Herrera. “Although we can all do more and we must, this initiative is a step in the right direction.”

Led by legendary big wave surfer Greg Long – who was missing out on some of the biggest waves ever to break in Indonesia to be there – the players got out on the water to learn paddle-boarding. Greg also spent some time

collecting floating plastic, and the direct experience of seeing how much waste there was had a huge impact on the players. Together with their team, each player is committed to raising awareness of the dramatic threat posed by plastic pollution to our oceans.

“It’s great to be part of the Parley relationship and for our kit to use Parley Ocean Plastic,” says Scott McTominay. “I also believe that we all need to do more. I’ve been shocked into doing more personally and everyone should also look at steps they can take to help this situation.”

Together with their team, the players have committed to raising awareness of the dramatic threat posed by plastic pollution to our oceans. The Manchester United 2018/19 season third kit is made from Parley Ocean Plastic® – a premium material recovered from beaches and coastal communities and used to create symbols of change.