Manchester City have announced their fourth signing of the summer – Kieran ‘Kez’ Brown, their first eSports player.
The 18-year-old from York follows hot on the heels of Ilkay Gundogan, Aaron Mooy and Nolito and will represent the club at tournaments and fan events.
Diego Gigliani, SVP, Media and Innovation, City Football Marketing, said: “This is a natural evolution for Manchester City.
“We’ve been very involved with our partner, EA SPORTS, and the FIFA franchise for some time.
“As eSports continues to gain momentum, it makes sense for our club to be part of the action and get closer to our fans.
“We will be a bigger presence at gaming tournaments, we will have more content through our digital channels and we will activate even more with our fans at matches and club events.
“When we set out to find an eSports player, we decided we wanted someone who was a fantastic young, talent, but also with a hunger and a desire to grow.
“We strongly believe we have found that in Kieran. He is full of potential.
“Not only is he a great player, but we also believe he will engage and interact brilliantly with our fans all around the world.”
Brown added: “It’s exciting – something new for the club and for me.
“I’m going to livestream on twitch, I’m going to be making videos for Manchester City’s YouTube channel and I’m going to be playing some City fans and representing City in future tournaments.
“This is an opportunity which not many people get the chance to do and I couldn’t turn it down.”