Ben Nuttall has set up tutorials for his followers to learn new tricks and keep people active during lockdown.
World record freestyler Ben Nuttall is creating football tutorials on TikTok as a way of helping the public develop their football skills during lockdown.
Nuttall, who holds three world records for various freestyle skills, is teaching his followers one new trick every day to keep people active during the Government’s lockdown guidelines.
The professional freestyler started his tutorial set using TikTok on Monday.
Nuttall told the PA news agency: “At the moment with the lockdown situation everyone’s stuck indoors and don’t have a lot to do and with kids also off school, everyone is missing the football so I thought ‘What could I do to try and help?’.
“So I had this idea that I could do some tutorials and do a new trick every day, post them online and it gives something for people to focus on each day.
“It is something positive, mentally and physically, and getting them off their consoles and active.
“A lot of kids usually play football with matches on a weekend or for their school team, or training through the week but they aren’t doing that at the moment and it keeps their control and all that ticking over.”
Monday’s tutorial consisted of how to do “keepy-ups” while Tuesday’s involved how to learn a “knee catch”, with step-by-step guides on how to perform the skill.
Speaking of how he became a freestyler, Nuttall said: “Like every kid, I wanted to play football and played for Birmingham City’s academy from 12 years old but got released.
“I have always been into the skills side of football and at that point I thought I would take it more seriously.
“Every spare minute I was practising, I got hooked on it and kept with it and got addicted doing skills and found it more enjoyable than regular football.”
Nuttall has used his popularity to help young offenders by giving them “something to focus on” by teaching them his skills.
“I had this idea of helping some of the kids with my skills,” he added.
“In 2019, I went into some of the local ones like Birmingham Youth Offending Team and other systems and tried to teach my skills and give them something to inspire them and motivate them.
“This year I have partnered with the Prince’s Trust, mixing with kids who are in the systems and also ones on the verge of falling into a life of crime, trying to get them off the streets and give them something to focus on.”
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister James Marape accused Joe Biden of disparaging the South Pacific island nation by implying that an uncle of the U.S. president had been eaten by “cannibals” there during World War II.
Biden’s comments offended a key strategic ally as China moves to increase its influence in the region.
The president spoke at a Pennsylvania war memorial last week about his Army Air Corps aviator uncle Second Lt. Ambrose J. Finnegan Jr., whom he said was shot down over Papua New Guinea, which was a theater of heavy fighting.
“They never found the body because there used to be — there were a lot of cannibals for real in that part of New Guinea,” Biden said, referring to the country’s main island.
Marape said in a statement on Sunday that Biden “appeared to imply his uncle was eaten by cannibals.”
“President Biden’s remarks may have been a slip of the tongue; however, my country does not deserve to be labeled as such,” Marape said in a statement provided by his office to The Associated Press on Monday.
“World War II was not the doing of my people; however, they were needlessly dragged into a conflict that was not their doing,” Marape added.
The rift comes as Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese began a visit on Monday to Papua New Guinea, Australia’s nearest neighbor. Albanese and Marape will commemorate strong defense ties between the two countries by walking part of a pivotal battle ground known as the Kokoda Track later this week.
“I’m very confident that PNG has no stronger partner than Australia and our defense and security ties have never been stronger,” Albanese told reporters before departing Australia.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Friday Biden was speaking to the bravery of his uncle and the many U.S. service members that put their lives on the line.
“He takes this very seriously. His uncle, who served and protected this country, lost his life serving. And that should matter,” she said.
Biden's account that Finnegan's plane was shot down was not supported by military records. Finnegan was a passenger on a Douglas A-20 Havoc transport plane that crashed into the ocean after both engines failed on May 14, 1944, according to a Pentagon report.
One crew member survived but no trace was found of the plane or three other people on board, including Finnegan.
Marape’s statement was released on the same day he met China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Port Moresby to discuss building closer relations.
Marape also called on the U.S. to find its war dead in Papua New Guinea’s jungles and to clean up the wreckage of war.
“The remains of WWII lie scattered all over PNG, including the plane that carried President Biden’s uncle," Marape said.
“Perhaps, given President Biden’s comments and the strong reaction from PNG and other parts of the world, it is time for the USA to find as many remains of World War II in PNG as possible, including those of servicemen who lost their lives like Ambrose Finnegan,” he said.
“The theaters of war in PNG and Solomon Islands are many, and littered with the remains of WWII including human remains, plane wrecks, ship wrecks, tunnels and bombs. Our people daily live with the fear of being killed by detonated bombs of WWII,” Marape added.
FILE - Papua New Guinean Prime Minister James Marape, left, listens during a meeting with Pacific Islands Forum leaders during the U.S.-Pacific Islands Forum Summit in the East Room of the White House, Monday, Sept. 25, 2023, in Washington. Prime Minister Marape accused Joe Biden of disparaging the South Pacific island nation by implying that an uncle of the U.S. president had been eaten by “cannibals” there during World War II. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
