SOCCER AID is here TONIGHT…and unlike last year we will have fans in attendance!
Stars from the world of celebrity and sport – such as Usain Bolt and Olly Murs – do battle on the pitch as England aim to bounce back after losing to the Rest Of The World XI in 2020.
Soccer Aid has raised over £47million for Unicef since its inception in 2006 with a record-breaking £9.3m raised in 2020 alone.
When is Soccer Aid 2021?
- Soccer Aid 2021 takes place TONIGHT, September 4 – the first time it will be played on a Saturday.
- Manchester City's Etihad Stadium – with fans in attendance – plays host.
- The match will kick off at 7.30pm BST.
What TV channel and live stream is Soccer Aid 2021 on?
- Soccer Aid 2021 will be broadcast live on ITV 1.
- ITV 1 get their coverage underway from 6.30pm.
- Alex Scott will be presenting the show alongside Dermot O'Leary.
- Maya Jama will be returning as a pundit.
Who is playing in Soccer Aid 2021?
A stellar cast awaits this year as Soccer Aid returns in front of fans in Manchester.
Wayne Rooney will be coming out of retirement to play for England. Rooney was the Three Lions manager in 2020.
Usain Bolt, Gary Neville and Paul Scholes have also signed-up to play in the big one.
Kelly Smith, Roberto Carlos, Patrice Evra, David James, Emile Heskey and Jamie Redknapp have also been confirmed to play.
And in the latest announcement, Rivaldo will join the Rest of the World XI.
Harry Redknapp returns as Manager of the Soccer Aid World XI FC.
Former Three Lions boss Sven Goran Eriksson will be taking charge of the England XI while Micah Richards joins the England coaching team with David Seaman as goalkeeping coach.
On the celeb front, James Arthur, Tom Grennan, Olly Murs, Mark Wright, Paddy McGuinness, Ore Oduba, Kem Cetinay, Liv Cooke, Roman Kemp and Chunkz will all be running out on the pitch.
What have they said?
The 2020 England manager, Rooney, is coming out of retirement to play in the match.
Rooney, 35, said: “Pulling on an England shirt is always special, so I’m absolutely delighted to be doing that again in Soccer Aid for UNICEF this September.
"Managing the England team last year was great but being around the players made me want to lace up the boots again – now I’ve got that chance, one last time."
Micah Richards, who will be on Rooney's coaching staff, said: "Usain Bolt running at Gary Neville? Rooney out of retirement? Me making my coaching debut. What more do you want?! This is going to be so good!
"I can’t wait to see all the lads run out at The Etihad for such a great cause. The line-up is looking really strong and let me tell you – there are even more surprises to come!”
- The Sun
SVEN, SVEN, SVEN-GORAN ERIKSSON
The former England boss is joined by coaches and former England internationals Micah Richards and David Seaman.
The message is clear – WIN, WIN, WIN!
ENGLAND TEAM NEWS
XI: GK David James, DF Jamie Carragher, DF Mark Wright, DF Gary Neville, DF James Bay, MF Wayne Rooney, MF Paul Scholes, MF Olly Murs, MF Harriet Pavlou, ST James Arthur, ST Shaun Wright-Phillips.
- The Sun
GOOD EVENING FROM THE ETIHAD
Hello and welcome to SunSport's live coverage of this year's Soccer Aid from the Etihad Stadium in Manchester.
This year will be unlike any other as we witness an extremely special cohort of legends and celebs in both the England and World XI squads go head to head in aid of Unicef.
Infamous former England coach Sven-Göran Eriksson takes charge of the Three Lions, meanwhile much beloved ex-manager and TV star Harry Redknapp will coach the World XI.
England mainstay Olly Murs returns to captain his side once again, meanwhile the legendary Usain Bolt returns having missed last year's edition to captain the World XI.
Despite the absence of their captain, the World XI took the spoils last time out after a tense penalty shootout victory following a 1-1 draw behind closed doors.
England will be out for revenge after two consecutive penalty shootout defeats on home soil and will look to an impressive array of ex-players to help them achieve this.
Derby County manager Wayne Rooney will don the white shirt once more, having played for his country 120 times and scored 53 in an illustrious playing career.
He'll have the likes of ex-Man United pals Gary Neville and Paul Scholes alongside him, whilst coming up against former teammates Patrice Evra and Darren Fletcher.
It's set to be a cracker and it's for a great cause, so tune in and follow along with our play by play coverage of this year's Soccer Aid.
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