The Chelsea defender has teamed up with education company StoryZoo, launching a nationwide programme to help tackle the sharp decline in reading among children.

In an effort to make reading a more accessible and consistent part of a child’s lifestyle, the programme opens up access to around 1,000 e-books for a full year, eliminating financial barriers that both teachers and families face amidst a cost of living crisis and education cuts.

Research shows that reading engagement among children is at its lowest levels for decades, with just 1 in 5 reading daily and fewer than a third saying they enjoy it. Those statistics also couple up with a decline in reading among adults, with parent-to-child reading happening much less than in previous years.

With reading forming a fundamental part of a child’s literacy skills, initiatives like this are breaking down barriers that will hopefully help reverse the decline. It was launched on World Book Day, and saw Colwill lead a school assembly at a local school in Southampton, where he grew up.

Salute to Levi for inspiring the next generation through acts of kindness, one that can hopefully empower other players to leave their mark off the pitch too.