Liberian team of ex-child soldiers gets English soccer star's apparel

Published: 2004-09-14

MANCHESTER, England (CNS) -- An African soccer team for former child soldiers is the beneficiary of the most talked-about soccer transfer in English soccer history. English international star Wayne Rooney left his home-town club of Everton Aug. 31 to sign for Manchester United in a deal that could earn his old club more than $40 million. The 18-year-old forward was widely acknowledged as England's best player in the recent Euro 2004 championship in Portugal. Everton donated more than 60,000 pounds (US$90,000) worth of unsold Rooney apparel to the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development for its former child soldier project in Liberia. The soccer shirts will go to members of the Millennium Stars team. All the young players on the team were child soldiers in various armies during Liberia's 14-year civil war. They now attend a demobilization and reintegration project run by the Salesians' Don Bosco Homes, a partner agency with CAFOD. The homes aim to help the young Liberians overcome their trauma and ultimately reintegrate them into their families and communities.

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