Shinji Kagawa becomes first Asian player to join Juan Mata's Common Goal as he pledges to donate 1% of Borussia Dortmund wage to charity
- Juan Mata is asking fellow footballers to donate one per cent of wages to charity
- Mats Hummels and Giorgio Chiellini have signed up, and now Shinji Kagawa is in
- He is first Asian player to join and says he is 'proud to help lead the movement'
- Last week, Charlie Daniels and Alfie Mawson become first Englishmen to sign up
Former Manchester United midfielder Shinji Kagawa has become the first Asian player to commit to Common Goal, the football charity pioneered by his old team-mate Juan Mata.
Kagawa, who returned to Borussia Dortmund from United in 2014, has joined a growing number of stars in pledging to donate at least one per cent of their earnings to football causes around the world.
Mats Hummels and Giorgio Chiellini are among the big names who have backed Common Goal, and last week Charlie Daniels, of Bournemouth, and Swansea's Alfie Mawson became the first Englishmen to pledge their support.
Shinji Kagawa has become the first Asian footballer to sign up for the Common Goal initiative
Juan Mata has pioneered the initiative, which asks footballers to donate 1% of their wages
Kagawa said: 'I'm really excited to announce to you today that I've joined Juan Mata on the Common Goal team. Football has given me so many opportunities in life and now I want to play my role in supporting others through the game.
'Common Goal is quickly growing around the world and I'm proud to help lead the movement forward in Japan.
'I've been fortunate enough to have football lead me all over the world – Japan, England, South Africa, Brazil and of course Germany, to name just a few countries.
'If there's one constant I've witnessed throughout the journey it has to be passion. Football inspires and excites people like nothing else on the planet, and what I love about Common Goal is that it channels this passion in a way that makes a real difference to disadvantaged communities around the world.'
Kagawa said he is 'proud to help lead the movement in Japan' after signing up this week
Alfie Mawson (left) and Charlie Daniels became the first English players to get involved
Mata played alongside Kagawa for half a season after joining United in January 2014 from Chelsea in a £37.1million deal. The Spaniard believes it is appropriate that the 28-year-old has become the first Japanese player to sign up with Common Goal.
'Shinji knows a thing or two about being first,' said Mata. 'He was the first player from Japan to play at Manchester United and then the first to win the Premier League. So I think it's fitting that he's now the first to join Common Goal as well.
'I know first-hand that Shinji is a special footballer and a brilliant person. It's a great pleasure for me to welcome him to the team today.'
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