Joelinton joins hundreds of young people at Newcastle United Foundation Premier League Kicks

Joelinton brought star power under the lights at a Newcastle United Foundation Premier League Kicks session, surprising young people enjoying free football after school.

The Brazilian international visited a community session in Newcastle’s West End to meet young people accessing physical activity to socialise and spend time building teamwork and communication every Friday night alongside Foundation coaches.

His visit gave participants the chance to showcase their skills, ask questions and hear first-hand about his journey to becoming a professional footballer. Young people from more than 21 ethnicities join the weekly Westgate session and use football to connect with others, even when they do not share a common language.

Joelinton said: “It’s always good to spend time with the community and with the kids that come from here and other parts of the world. It’s a good moment to remember home as well and to remember where I come from.

“It’s been a good night, and I’ve enjoyed time with the players here and had fun.”

Speaking about the talent of players attending, the midfielder added: “There are some good players here, maybe one day they could join the Academy and one day can become a professional football player.”

Premier League Kicks, funded by the Premier League through the Premier League Foundation, uses the power of football and sport to inspire young people to reach their potential in some of the most under-served areas in England and Wales.

More than 2,300 young people enjoy free, supervised sessions delivered by Newcastle United Foundation every year. The programme is open to all eight- to 18-year-olds across the North East.

Sarah Burn, Premier League Kicks Coordinator at Newcastle United Foundation, said: “Having Joelinton join us was a brilliant experience for everyone at the session. Our young people were thrilled to meet him and to have the opportunity to speak to their hero.

“Visits like this create lasting memories and show participants that Newcastle United is connected to the communities they live in.

“Joelinton was generous with his time and we know all the young people here will be buzzing about the experience – the look on their faces when they realised who was joining their pitch was priceless.”

Premier League Kicks is free and also offers specialist neurodiverse sessions and girls’ only sessions – click here to register.

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