Yahoo Finance Eli Manning Says His Daughters Inspired Him to Become a Part-Owner of Gotham Women's Soccer Club
. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) Eli Manning with his family
The National Women's Soccer League is welcoming a New York legend into its owners' club.
On Wednesday, Gotham FC announced that Eli Manning, the former New York Giants quarterback, has joined the New York and New Jersey-based team as a minority owner.
"I have lived and worked in this community for almost two decades," Manning, a two-time Super Bowl champion, said in a statement.
"It's home to me, and Gotham FC is my family's favorite soccer club," he continued. "Combine that with the organization's strong leadership, talented roster, and sustained growth, and it became clear that joining this great group was a fantastic opportunity."
Along with Manning, WNBA star Sue Bird, former USWNT and Gotham FC player Carli Lloyd and Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant all joined the team as minority owners.
In a video released by Gotham FC, Manning said his daughters — Ava Frances, 11, Lucy Thomas, 9, and Caroline Olivia, 7 — helped inspire his decision to invest in the club.
A local football legend. Welcome to Gotham FC, @EliManning!#YERRRR pic.twitter.com/K9J1iCayyE
— NJ/NY Gotham FC (@GothamFC) August 10, 2022
"As a dad, I want to make sure that my daughters have all the athletic opportunities that I was blessed with," said Manning, who also has son Charlie, 3, with his wife Abby.
He added: "We're driving what happens next in the world's game with some of the greatest athletes in the game, and I can't imagine what's more exciting than being a part of that."
In an interview with the New York Post, Manning said it was important for him to find role models for his girls.
"You put them in different things, and you want them to find things that they're passionate about," he explained. "It creates such great life lessons and work ethic and teamwork and dedication and commitment and those type of things."
"I got to do that a little bit growing up with my dad [former NFL player Archie Manning] around the Saints, and meeting some of those players and kinda be able to look up to them, so I thought it would just be great to kind of support the local teams and to have something that's gonna be fun to be involved in to be part of the ownership and have something that my kids just enjoy the experience of it as well," Manning continued.
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Manning, a native of Louisiana, played his entire career with the Giants after he was picked by the San Diego Chargers in the 2004 NFL Draft. He won each of his Super Bowls against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.
