Chester FC Community Trust and Chester Football Club are delighted to name Dean Nugent as our Premier League Community Captain, as part of the Premier League’s More Than A Game campaign.

Dean, 16, has been recognised for his commitment and contribution to the game and community as a volunteer in the Community Trust’s Player Development Centre programme.

He first became involved with the Community Trust six years ago as a participant in our Junior Pan-Disability Football programme. Dean has autism spectrum disorder and ADHD, and had struggled to find regular opportunities to play the game he loves, but with the support of Community Trust coaches, he quickly become a valued teammate, developing his skills through weekly sessions and representing the club in the Cheshire FA Ability Counts League.

His ambition is to have a career as a football coach and for the past year Dean has been volunteering within the Player Development Centre, supporting the coaches with planning and delivering sessions for young footballers. He is now aiming to combine his passion with his studies, having been offered a place on the Community Trust’s Post-16 Football Education Programme for September 2026.

Jim Green, CEO of Chester FC Community Trust, said: “Dean’s passion for football and his role as a volunteer is infectious. He is incredibly dedicated and takes great pride in being able to contribute to helping young players develop their game. It has been brilliant to watch his own skills and confidence grow, and we are very much looking forward to supporting Dean as he continues his journey to becoming a qualified football coach.”

The Premier League is investing £1.6 billion into wider football and communities between 2022 and 2025 to support football at every level of the game across England and Wales.

The More Than A Game campaign aims to celebrate and highlight the positive impact of the Premier League’s support for clubs, communities and facilities, with £1.6 billion being invested between 2022 and 2025 to support football at every level of the game across England and Wales.

The Premier League will be celebrating more than 100 Community Captains – individuals nominated by Premier League, EFL and National League clubs for their contribution to their local community via programmes funded by the Premier League.

Premier League Director of Community Nick Perchard said: “It is so important that we continue to recognise and collectively highlight the positive impact that work within local communities has, championing those at the heart of Premier League-funded initiatives. Success on the pitch enables the Premier League to share unparallelled investment into communities and football at all levels across England and Wales.”