Tom Heaton took time away from Carrington to support the fantastic environmental work of Manchester United Foundation participants at Lime Tree Primary Academy during the March international break.

Supporting Green Football’s Great Save initiative, the goalkeeper spent time with Key Stage 2 students at the school who are enrolled on the Foundation’s Eco Reds project – which encourages young people to protect the planet and inspire their peers.

From planting flowers and disposing of compost, to watering plants and litter picking, plus plenty more in between, Tom had the chance to witness first-hand the group’s incredible desire to have an impact on the world around them, resulting in some wonderful work in the school’s outdoor spaces.

Tom said: “The Foundation does an incredible job. Today has highlighted again to me the influence and power it can have for young people, and there’s a little bit of pride for me as well, seeing the difference it makes.

“We’ve been planting onions, litter picking, planting flowers and bulbs across different areas, putting stuff in the compost bins – just real good stuff, some real good habits for the young kids and I thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon.

“You can see how passionate these kids are about doing good things for the planet and having that instilled in people, you can see that they really care. To be building those habits at this early stage is fantastic.”

The Eco Reds project forms part of the Foundation’s delivery on the Premier League Inspires programme across all of our partner schools.

“It was great to have Tom Heaton here today – the kids were really buzzing with it,” added Nick Bunbury, one of the Foundation’s primary delivery officers.

“The kids were telling me it was one of the best days of their lives and they’re going to go home and tell their parents and they’re not going to believe it! It was really good work today from Tom and all of the Eco Reds.”

Although their fondness for all things for sustainability was the driving factor behind Tom’s visit, the children involved were delighted to have a Manchester United player involved in their activity.

Abdul, 10, said: “This particularly was a very special day for me, someone from United coming – I’ve not met a lot of players so for him to come, it was a great experience, and I loved it all.

“I’m a United fan, so it made me feel really excited to hear how Tom does some of his eco stuff, and also, for us to show him how good of a school we are.

“I enjoy these activities because you feel like you’re saving the planet. It’s not just helping you; it’s helping the environment and that has a really big impact.”

Class-mate Isla, 9, added: “It was a really nice day. When it’s someone you’ve not met before but you’ve heard of and they come to see you, it’s good because you can ask them questions and you can get their autograph.”