KAI AND HIS PETS

Kai Havertz (should be in an Arsenal shirt!!) at 24 years old, recently revealed that his teammates call him "donkey", due to his affection for the animal. Apparently he holds these animals in high regard. The star striker was given the nickname because he is said to be a "deep thinker" and "calming presence" on the field. I suspect there might be another reason for this name appendage but who knows. 

Animal-lover Kai, who grew up spending time with rescued donkeys at a sanctuary near his hometown of Aachen in Germany, said: "I have followed the work of The Donkey Sanctuary for some time so when they got in touch to say they’d like to name a foal after me, I was delighted. here's his mate below.

Kai puts his best hoof forward for some 'donkey dribbling'.Credit: The Donkey Sanctuary

KAI says, "Donkeys are such incredible animals, and I am very happy to give my name so this little donkey can help raise awareness of the importance of good donkey welfare, here and all around the world."The staff at the sanctuary wanted to recognise Kai’s appreciation of these often-misunderstood animals and their emotional intelligence, and the effort he is making through his new foundation to improve the lives of donkeys in his home country of Germany. 

It appears the fluffy grey and white donkey foal, who has already captured the hearts of his grooms at the sanctuary in Sidmouth, seems to be a fan of the beautiful game too and enjoys kicking a ball around. Marianne Steele, CEO of The Donkey Sanctuary, added: "Kai has proved to be a real champion of donkeys in every sense of the word. "We are so pleased to have the opportunity to name our new foal after him and hope he will continue to inspire people to think about donkeys differently.”

Due to his finesse and technique, Paul Merson called Havertz, a Rolls-Royce footballer stating, "Havertz is one of Chelsea's best players. People forget he is class. He knits things together. At 6ft 4 inches, he's a Rolls-Royce, gliding, as he does, round the pitch." He is an Alleskönner – a player who can do everything. For Chelsea he made 91 apps with 19 goals between 2020-23. His internationalk career from 2018 37 caps and 13 goals. Here he is with Sophie Weber...his favourite supporter.