LONDON (Reuters) -Training ground car parks at top European soccer clubs are usually stacked with gleaming super cars but former Arsenal player Hector Bellerin prefers two wheels to four.
Spaniard Bellerin, who now plays for Real Betis, chooses to cycle to work or use public transport — part of his determination to eschew materialism and use his sporting profile to promote sustainability.
“It would be easier to take a cab. I know I’m privileged, but … we need greener cities, with fewer cars,” Bellerin, who on Monday was named global champion at the BBC Green Sport Awards, said.
The 30-year-old is not your stereotypical soccer player. He uses his large social media following to highlight the impact climate change is having on sport and tries to encourage his followers to be more ethical consumers.
“I feel with power comes responsibility. Every time someone puts a microphone next to you, there’s a chance to talk about issues, to generate conversation,” he told the BBC.
Bellerin, who was born along the coast from Barcelona, developed a passion for the environment from a young age and his lifestyle fits with his ethos. He is a vegan and even buys his clothes in second-hand stores.
“It’s about giving what you consume a good life and, when you’re done, giving it another life,” he said. “We’re constantly bombarded by advertising that creates a false sense of need.”
Bellerin joined Arsenal’s academy as a 16-year-old where he came under the watchful eye of Arsene Wenger — the manager he says helped him ingrain good values.
“I learned a lot from him — not focused on sustainability itself because I feel like that word nowadays has very clear connotations, but more about a holistic way of living, and I think sustainability comes into that,” Bellerin says.
His way of thinking can often be at odds with many in an industry not associated with environmental activism, but rather than preach, Bellerin prefers to have earnest discussions.
“I’m someone who brings something different to the table. We have debates, sometimes I get angry,” he says of the lively conversations with his teammates.
“But they respect me; they listen. I learn from them too. Even when people think very differently from me, it helps me see the world in new ways.”
Bellerin says signing for Betis was a natural fit, with the club’s Forever Green Foundation working to promote environmentally friendly initiatives. The club shirt is made from algae, wood pulp and recycled plastic while discarded fishing nets are used in the construction of seats in the stands.
“Betis isn’t just a football club,” Bellerin says. “It’s a space where people can grow, get support, and feel part of something bigger. Being part of that is incredibly fulfilling.”
(Reporting by Martyn Herman, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
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