The Brighton goalkeeper Mat Ryan has pledged his support to Australian wildlife charities amid the ongoing bushfires in his home country.
The Socceroos keeper will donate A$500 for every save made by a Premier League keeper. On his Instagram and Twitter pages, the 27-year-old said: “Thank you to all for your support thus far and as a nation we really do appreciate your gratitude and generosity. However there continues to be homes lost, lives of both people and animals lost or in danger, along with whole communities, businesses and more.”
He will donate the funds he raises to the WIRES Australian Wildlife Rescue Organisation emergency fund.
I’ll be donating $500 for every registered save by all @premierleague goalkeepers this weekend.
— Maty Ryan (@MatyRyan) January 9, 2020
Please visit any of the sites below if you’re able to contribute. Thank you 🙏🏼 https://t.co/ALkFfMdOL8https://t.co/XhnSbJMHX0https://t.co/cOYyfGOZMVhttps://t.co/3aUufmplV7 pic.twitter.com/07QarFLEBJ
Ryan, who hails from Plumpton, west of Sydney in New South Wales, took part in a similar appeal through Professional Football Australia and the Footballers’ Trust last week when he pledged to donate $1000 for every goal scored across the A-League and W-League fixtures. There were a total of 27 goals scored across the two leagues.
There will be a full round of ten Premier League fixtures this weekend, meaning 20 goalkeepers will be in action across the English top flight. Ryan himself will play for Brighton at Everton at Goodison Park on Saturday.
“I’ve chosen to donate to the WIRES Australian Wildlife Rescue Organisation emergency fund,” Ryan wrote on Twitter. “I hope we can continue in the same manner and continue to encourage and influence people into raising money for those affected.”
