Millie Bobby Brown signs up for Together #WePlayStrong
Tuesday, March 26, 2019
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Emmy-nominated actor Millie Bobby Brown has become the latest ambassador of UEFA's Together #WePlayStrong campaign.
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Two-time Emmy-nominated actor Millie Bobby Brown has signed up to support girls' and women's football as the latest ambassador of UEFA's hugely successful Together #WePlayStrong campaign.
The star of Netflix sensation Stranger Things – who will make her big-screen debut this summer in the Warner Bros' blockbuster Godzilla: King of the Monsters – has joined forces with UEFA in another groundbreaking partnership designed to transform the image of women's football and inspire young girls to play.
Millie, a role model and inspiration for teenage girls across the world, is also an avid Liverpool fan and grew up kicking a ball around with her football-loving family. She marked the partnership by surprising a group of young girls and joining in with a football skills session organised by UEFA at Wembley Stadium in London.
"I've grown up playing football with my family and we are all are huge Liverpool fans, so I was really excited when UEFA approached me to join the squad," said Millie.
"What I love about Together #WePlayStrong is its values: they're not only centred around football but also friendship, building confidence, teamwork and equality.
"Kicking the ball around with the girls was really cool and fun. It felt great to be part of a team that has such a strong sense of unity. Even though it felt a little intimidating to join in on a football session for the first time in a while, I had so much fun and would encourage any girl thinking about trying the sport to just give it a go.
"My journey into acting has so many parallels with these young footballers – overcoming challenges and showing perseverance to express yourself – so it's inspiring to see how much confidence playing football gives them."
Through the Together #WePlayStrong campaign, UEFA aims to make football more culturally relevant and aspirational for girls in their teenage years, where they traditionally drop out in large numbers.
Together #WePlayStrong has already achieved significant success in partnering with global popstar Rita Ora on her 2018 European tour and recently launched its new-look, always-on YouTube channel offering a variety of fresh, original content from a squad of professional women's football players to inspire players across Europe.
"Millie Bobby Brown is a source of inspiration and motivation to so many young people across the world and we're excited to have her on board with Together #WePlayStrong," said Nadine Kessler, UEFA's head of women's football.
"Girls tend to lose interest in football or drop out around their teenage years and to have someone as relatable to that audience as Millie, showing girls how much fun football can be, will hopefully help to grow interest and participation in the game across Europe.
"We can't wait for this dynamic partnership with Millie to evolve and help further connect UEFA to the world of young women through entertainment and sport."
This collaboration provides UEFA with an additional platform to promote Together #WePlayStrong, its first ever pan-European campaign, which is an integral part of its five-year strategic plan to make football the number one sport for girls and women in countries across the continent.
UEFA's ambition for how the game can attract more girls to play involves raising the profile and image of the game, increasing visibility and engagement, driving participation at grassroots level and increasing investment.
To watch Millie's surprise football session at Wembley, head to Bit.ly/WPSMillieMedia, and for more information on Together #WePlayStrong, visit http://www.weplaystrong.org.