Former Premier League star, 25, launches business venture by recycling chopsticks into furniture amid injury hell

SHEFFIELD UNITED midfielder Tom Davies believes launching his sustainable business venture has helped his mental health during a difficult debut season in South Yorkshire.

The 25-year-old left boyhood club Everton last summer after 14 years, but injury restricted him to just nine appearances as the Blades were relegated from the top flight.

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Gambling and mental health have become issues in football, but despite a long layoff, Davies found solace in preparing for the launch of ChopValue UK, which opened a microfactory in Liverpool after collecting almost five million chopsticks for recycle furniture and household items. .

“I don’t want to do these things that are going to negatively impact me or the people around me,” Davies told the PA news agency.

“Football offers a great platform to talk about things that are important: sustainability is one thing, mental health is another.

“These are things I care about and building a community, feeling like I’m doing well, that really makes me feel satisfied and living a good life.

“That’s why football players need outside interests. Some like golf, fashion or cars. That’s what I like to do. It’s a good distraction and it definitely helps.

“When you’re just focused on football and you get injured, it can be quite draining, but I never felt like that with my last injury.”

During his layoff, Davies took a sustainability course to better understand the business, a franchisee of a Canadian company of which he is managing director.

The former England under-21 international, who shaved his trademark shoulder-length hair to raise funds for James’ Place, a charity that supports suicidal men in Liverpool and London, has also turned his venture into a community interest company to benefit more causes in the city.

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“Once we start to earn an income we will start to give some of it back to the community to help charities, mental health and Everton in the community,” he added.

“The city has been great to me and I want to try to help people. We’re just trying to make the best impact we can.”