PREMIER League football star Vincent Kompany will donate proceeds from his testimonial season to tackle rough sleeping in Manchester.

The Manchester City defender has teamed up with Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, to launch fundraising campaign Tackle4MCR.

Mr Burnham has pledged to end the need for rough sleeping in the city region by 2020 and on his first day in office he set up the Mayor's Homelessness Fund, and donates 15pc of his salary every month.

Speaking at the launch night on Wednesday, Kompany said: "I've received much from Manchester - a great career at the highest level, unconditional support from the fans through thick and thin, a lovely family and so much more to be grateful for.

"Over the past decade I've been lucky to have witnessed and played a part in Manchester City's rise as a club and a brand. This has also run parallel alongside the rise of a whole region.

"However, with this spectacular rise comes a very visible downside. More and more people are left out of and have no access to the benefits of the rapid development, often leaving them no choice but to end up on the streets.

"And this is why our mayor Andy Burnham and I have launched Tackle4MCR, a movement that will stand on its own feet and one that can be successful, if everyone plays a part."