Meet our McDonald's sport ambassadors
McDonald's has enlisted the help of some well-known sporting faces to talk about our football programmes and Olympics activity.
Sir Geoff Hurst MBE
1966 World Cup Legend
Sir Geoff Hurst's involvement
Since 2002 Sir Geoff Hurst has attended over 50 football festivals and met many of the coaches who have qualified through the McDonald's programme. He is not looking for the next David Beckham, he's just trying to keep kids enjoying football at an early age. Sir Geoff himself didn't get interested in football until his teens. It was only when a family friend wrote off to Arsenal and West Ham suggesting they take a look at him that he gave up his beloved cricket to focus on football. Needless to say he's glad that he did!
Kenny Dalglish
Scottish and Liverpool hero
The McDonald's campaign doesn't only give me a chance to see hundreds of youngsters getting stuck into a good game of football, it's given me the chance to meet and chat to coaches across Scotland.
Kenny Dalglish's involvement
The McDonald's campaign has given Kenny the chance to meet and chat to coaches across Scotland who are heavily involved with local schools as well as coaching youngsters who are just having a good time playing football. It was at an inter-school tournament many years ago that Kenny was spotted and went on to enjoy great success with Celtic, Liverpool and, of course, Scotland. The McDonald's coaching programme is greatly improving the standard of coaching in Scottish schools and the introduction of the Quality Mark award is further improving the provision of coaching across Scotland.
Ian Rush
McDonald's Head of Welsh Football
Me and Eric Harrison have side by side coached some great clubs, and the skills and fitness levels of the youngsters at such a young age is really impressive. Welsh football is vastly improving.
Ian Rush's involvement
One thing that impressed Ian about the Welsh coaching programme is its impact across grassroots football - in schools and in clubs all over Wales. Having toured the country with with Eric Harrison in recent years with football festivals - he has seen at first hand the vast improvement in grass roots Welsh football and believes some brilliant players are coming through the youth ranks. According to Ian, the continued support from the likes of McDonald's can only have a positive impact on the development of Welsh stars of tomorrow.
Pat Jennings OBE
Northern Ireland and Tottenham goalie
My involvement with the McDonald's programme has given me the chance to watch young goalies across Northern Ireland try to replicate the goal I scored in the 1967 Charity Shield, I've even seen a few succeed
Pat Jennings' involvement
It never ceases to amaze Pat how fit and active the kids are at the McDonald's festivals He told us that in his heyday that footballers were as interested in the post-match parties as they were in the pre-match training!
Eric Harrison
Former Man Utd Youth Coach
After 18 years at Manchester United, I like to think that I know when to spot a good player, maybe you need to ask David Beckham about that. With the McDonald's programme I've met promising new talent.
Eric Harrison's involvement
Since getting involved with the McDonald's programme, Eric has been working with some great kids and coaches. Eric has coached the likes of Beckham, Giggs, Scholes and the Neville brothers. The passion he saw in the eyes of Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes, he can now see week in and week out in the eyes of kids across the country and he is still enjoying coaching now as much as he did in 1992 - only thing now Eric tells us is that he can't run fast as he used to.
I have been lucky to attend over 50 football festivals and to meet many of the coaches through the McDonald's programme. It's great to see kids keeping active and enjoying football at such an early age.