Sunderland player Duncan Watmore has become the first Championship player to sign up for the Common Goal initiative which was set up by Manchester United's Juan Mata.

Mata started the initiative at the beginning of the season which encourages footballers to donate 1% of their salaries to charity.

Watmore follows in the footsteps of the likes of Giorgio Chiellini, Mats Hummels, Shinji Kagawa, Alfie Mawson and Bournemouth's Charlie Daniels in joining the initiative.

Watmore who also impressively boasts a first class honors degree in Economics and Business Management said: "I have always donated to charities but this is a way of formalising it.

"Common Goal have done it through football charities but it is not just football, it has a wider influence and it covers a lot of areas.

"For me the main area I want to go down is to link in with my education, I was lucky enough to get my degree."