EVERTON’S STEVEN NAISMITH has bought tickets for his side’s Premier League home games to donate to unemployed people from the Liverpool area according to reports today.
“I thought this might be a small gesture to help those in that situation to enjoy a day out at one of our league matches,” said the 27-year-old.
“Hopefully it can bring some joy to many people.”
Naismith joined Everton from Rangers in 2012, having started his career with Kilmarnock. He has won 29 caps for Scotland, scoring three goals.
He has asked JobCentre Plus, the United Kingdom’s support service for job-seekers, to distribute tickets to people who “are trying hard to find employment and who would enjoy watching a Premier League football match”.
He added: “I come from Ayrshire in the West of Scotland and spent a lot of my life in Glasgow — a city that, at times, has suffered from high unemployment.
“Liverpool has a similar history and I am aware that, through no fault of their own, there are many unemployed in Liverpool trying hard to find a job and (who) may not be able to afford a ticket.”
Naismith, who scored nine goals for Everton last season, is also an ambassador for Dyslexia Scotland and has launched a project in Glasgow to help injured members of the armed forces find work.
“Every day I feel very fortunate for the opportunities and lifestyle my job as a footballer has afforded my family and me and also to be in the position where I can help the community in some small way,” he said.
