"Growing up in Manchester was very difficult, especially from the area where I was from. We had crime, drugs going on whch was really bad for the young people and the community."
Roosevelt Sigsbert has managed to stay on the right path in his life, in part thanks to Boots & Beats, a Manchester initiative that uses football and music to engage unemployed young people.
The 18-year-old started out as a participant there before becoming a volunteer and has gone on to obtain an FA Level One coaching qualification.
"It's great that a lot of people see me as a role model, I never thought I was one," Roosevelt told mancity.com. "Encouraging young people is really important, football and music can bring a community together."
The success of Boots & Beats is also down to having been part of Manchester City's award-winning Cityzens Giving project.
Cityzens Giving funds community football projects run by young people, for young people, in cities around the world, tackling social issues through the power of football.
Boots & Beats is one of nine community projects helped by Cityzens Funding, which has created 250 young leaders and reached 14,000 children around the world.
For 2017, City Football Group and its partners have made a £400,000 commitment and fans can decide how six projects are funded by voting for the cause that inspires them the most. The more votes a project gets, the more funding it will receive.
As well as Boots & Beats, the other schemes are in Melbourne, Mexico City, New York, Indonesia and Beijing and tackle pressing issues affecting young people in their city including substance abuse, unemployment and disability inclusion.
Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola has already joined in with his vote, and kept it close to his new home by backing Boots & Beats.
