Soccer Aid is back for another year with two teams made up of celebrities and former professional players taking part in the charity match.
The game returns to Manchester and will be held at Old Trafford for the first time since 2020 when it was held behind closed doors due to the pandemic.
Among those lining up for England this year is singer-songwriter Tom Grennan who returns for third Soccer Aid match - having previously played at The Etihad Stadium in 2021 and London Stadium in 2022 where he was named Player of the Match.
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Tom, who was born in Bedford, first found fame after starring as the guest vocalist for Chase & Status' hit single 'All Gone Wrong'. He was encouraged to start performing after his friends were impressed at a house party where he sang along to The Kooks' "Seaside".
Tom, 28, has had two studio albums and three EPs with his debut album "Lighting Matches" achieving a Gold rating after peaking at number five on the UK Charts. His second album Evering Road reached number one in March 2021.
Tom, who is currently embarking on his first-ever arena tour and he will release his third studio album, What Ifs and Maybes, three days before Soccer Aid takes place.
Speaking to the Manchester Evening News ahead of Soccer Aid about his return, Tom said: "I’m absolutely buzzing; just to be involved in Soccer Aid is an honour... It’s probably up there with the best time of the year - it’s going to be great."
He added: "It gives me butterflies talking about it. The little kid in me is in disbelief really, but when you walk on to the pitch and see so many people there, it’s an amazing feeling. I can’t explain, apart from being in awe of it and wanting to do your best."
Tom will also be the first ever Soccer Aid player to take part in the match and give a live half-time performance. Grennan will sing his hit ballad Here in front of tens of thousands of fans at the event.
Now in its 12th year, donations from Soccer Aid go to Unicef with money used to help give kids the best start in life. Those turning out for England include Tom Hiddleston, Danny Dyer, Gary Neville, Gary Cahill, Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes, Jack Wilshere, Jermain Defoe, Eni Aluko, Karen Carney, Scarlette Douglas, Alex Brooker, Chunkz, Tom Grennan, Sir Mo Farah, Bugzy Malone, Joel Corry, Asa Butterfield, Liam Payne, David James as professional goalkeeper and Paddy McGuinness as celebrity goalkeeper.
The World IX features celebs and former pros including World XI FC line-up so far are Ben Foster as professional goalkeeper, Gabriel Batistuta, Nani, Maisie Adam, Kaylyn Kyle, Heather O’Reilly, Mo Gilligan, Lee Mack, Steven Bartlett, Kem Cetinay, Noah Beck, Roberto Carlos, Francesco Totti, Leon Edwards and Tommy Fury.
Dermot O’Leary and Alex Scott will be fronting the action live as it happens, with Iain Stirling and Sam Matterface commentating.
Soccer Aid takes place on Sunday, June 11, kicking off at Old Trafford at 7.30pm. It will be live on ITV1 and streamed on ITVX.
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