Australia

Socceroo Jackson Irvine: ‘We want to use the game as a driving force for good’ | Jack Snape

08-Sep-2023 15:00:41 | Guardian

The new PFA president feels the issues he pursues are not overtly political but basic human rights that should not divide opinion

On his right leg, a tattoo of the Simpsons character Moe Szyslak earned international renown. He is a darling of football fashionistas for his love of vintage jerseys. But Jackson Irvine, the 30-year-old Socceroo and new president of Professional Footballers Australia – the body representing the country’s elite players – hopes to stand for something altogether less superficial.

“I think the simplest way I can put it is, you just want to use the game to improve your community, grow the community around you,” he says from the US ahead of the Socceroos’ friendly against Mexico on Sunday. “We want to use the game as a driving force for good.”