You only have to turn on the television to see Norwich City's players on a regular basis.

The Premier League does offer a worldwide platform that is capable of flipping a player's life around. That is why it is the most lucrative competition and why stars from across the globe have a desire to experience it.

City are a small fish in a pond constructed by billionaires but are still seen as heroes and idols in the eyes of many supporters around Norfolk and beyond.

But their reputation more broadly is more contentious.

The wider non-footballing public, and even some of those who do follow the beautiful game, cannot look past their weekly pay packet and fortune compared to most in society.

That extends to those who occupy some of the most powerful positions in the country.

Last year, during the first lockdown that shut down most of society, a now former government minister used his stage of a daily press briefing to criticise Premier League footballers for their lack of support during the first phase of the pandemic.

Three days before that remark, the Community Sports Foundation chief executive Ian Thornton saw his phone flash up with an incoming call.

It was Zoe Ward, who delivered the news that City's first-team squad and management staff, then led by Daniel Farke, would be donating a sizeable sum to help the CSF deliver activities and offer support to the county's most disadvantaged and isolated people.

This arrived at a period where children were suffering from food poverty due to free school meals being inaccessible and the CSF itself being hit by a loss of £1million.

It wasn't something they demanded praise or credit for, but it was a quiet act designed to help those who require it in the community so desperately.

Marcus Rashford has rightly been praised for his work in forcing government to change policy around child poverty and hunger.

When Patrick Bamford decided to speak out against climate change on social media, he was hastily reminded to remember his place by some factions of football's fanbase.

'Stick to football' is the age-old line that gets repeated when a footballer dare pass comment on anything other than what happens inside the confines of the four white lines on a Saturday afternoon.

So what do we want from our footballers?

Do we want the generic media trained responses to questions? If that is delivered, then they are called bland. Personalities are often portrayed as loose cannons who cannot be managed or have attitude problems. Those who speak up for what they believe in are made to feel as though they are stepping into an area that is above their intellect.

Whether it is Rashford's campaign to aid those children going hungry during harsh winter months or Tyrone Mings speaking out against Priti Patel's comments around taking the knee, it's important footballers are provided with the opportunity to air their views.

Some won't agree with those views, in many ways, they don't have to. It's about allowing those footballers to challenge what they see in their community for the better.

Modern day footballers have bad reputations in society.

It is why ministers, some of whom are working incredibly lucrative second jobs or boast deep pockets of their own, use their wealth against them or why people expect them to be a beacon of morality and have a presence in their community.

Often, those who help charitable causes do so privately to escape the inevitable comments that would ensue.

This is the side of Norwich City's footballers that isn't available to the public.

In Thornton's 29 years of service at the CSF, he has seen first-hand how generous and compassionate City's stars can be.

"I think they do (get a bad reputation). People forget that they are actually quite humble.

"They want people to know the good stuff they do behind the scenes. They are good role models. They do earn a lot of money for the job they do but they don't go looking for attention.

"A lot of the current players and previous players either give their time but don't look for credit for it. That is how humble they can be at times."

Community runs through the heart of the football club, which is why people rush to support the brilliant work being done by the CSF.

Whether it is attending a Norwich City Fans Social Club event or attending a charity golf day, the organisation is flooded by people wanting to help them advance their causes.

That is also true of those in the home dressing room. Their donation has helped launch a pilot project called Active Canaries, something that will benefit those in need of help.

"What we found out during the pandemic is that a number of families were struggling to provide food for children and no child should have any sort of food poverty," Thornton said.

"We saw families that were struggling to cook meals on a small budget because of the low income that they had.

"We have currently put a pilot project together that is funded by the players, the executive board and the former head coach to go into deprived areas of Norwich to get the schools more active but also to teach some core cooking skills on a budget.

"That is with the intention of them having the skills to cook a healthy meal at a core time in their development and it helps their mental health and development."

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