Ray Palour set to arrive in Ghana

Arsenal legend Ray Palour is set to arrive in Ghana on Friday,August 31. The former Arsenal player is coming to Ghana at the invitation of Airtel telecommunications for a soccer clinic which is aimed at developing talents in Ghana and Africa.

For the uninitiated, Raymond "Ray" Parlour is a former English professional footballer who spent his career playing for Arsenal, Middlesbrough, Hull City and currently plays for Wembley F.C.

During his Arsenal career he was nicknamed "The Romford Pelé’ although the nickname was given on account of his solid performance but unglamorous image. He has been described as an "unsung hero" and praised as a "fans' favourite" for his high-energy performances. He is now a pundit on television, as well as on radio stations BBC Radio 5 Live and Talksport.

Ray Palour’s arrival is to motivate young aspiring footballers and coach them into becoming astute sportsmen/women.

It would be recalled that recently Airtel entered into a partnership with English Premier league side Arsenal FA.

The deal provides Airtel with the opportunity to utilize the Club’s merchandising, hospitality and content rights in five markets: Nigeria, Zambia, Ghana, Uganda and Rwanda.

The agreement will help the north London side reach some of its 42million fans across the continent. Airtel customers in Nigeria, Zambia, Ghana, Uganda and Rwanda will have the opportunity to win match tickets to watch this summer’s pre-season tour fixture and receive exclusive club content and news direct on their handsets. In addition to the agreement, Airtel will be designated as the official mobile operator of the 2012 Arsenal Tour to Nigeria.

Arsenal will also support the Airtel Rising Stars football programme, an annual grassroots training initiative that offers young boys and girls the opportunity to play football and compete in a safe environment. Airtel donates money for each goal scored at the tournament to support the players’ education to ensure those involved don’t only get best-in-class sports training and opportunities, but also have better opportunities to further their academic studies.

The Gunners will provide UEFA-trained coaches to assist with training in each of the five markets and at an Arsenal Coaching Clinic for up to 50 footballers in London.