Manchester United's David De Gea, Anthony Elanga, Donny van de Beek to visit India in December

For the first time, a current United player will visit the country.

Leading tyre maker Apollo Tyres has announced that Manchester United's first team stars, David De Gea, Anthony Elanga and Donny van de Beek are all set to visit India to celebrate the launch of the third edition of its flagship grassroots football initiative United We Play.

The three Manchester United first team players will be seen in Goa on December 1 to officially launch and kickstart activities for the third season of the popular United We Play programme. This will also mark the maiden visit to India for any footballer from the current Manchester United first team squad.

Supported by Manchester United, United We Play is a pan-India initiative by Apollo Tyres to support young footballers in India by giving them a platform to showcase their skills with the objective of motivating aspiring footballers to continue playing, by engaging with them, and introducing them to global training methods.

The second season of United We Play concluded earlier this year, wherein more than 5000 budding footballers from across the country took part. In the grand finale in Chennai, four shortlisted players were chosen for once in a lifetime opportunity to visit Old Trafford to participate in exciting activities like a matchday experience and training session with Manchester United Soccer School coaches. Winners also get the chance to pick the brains of some of United's greatest players during a meet and greet with Club legends.

The third edition of United We Play promises to be even bigger, as Apollo Tyres and Manchester United look to increase participation and expand the footprint of the programme even further.