Former Wigan Athletic, Liverpool and England duo inspire at St John Fisher High School

They visited the Beech Hill venue to hear how a team of Premier League Inspires students are encouraging others to look after their mental health.

The students are taking part in the 2026 Premier League Inspires Challenge, which has tasked Premier League Inspires participants with devising social action projects that support and improve young people's mental wellbeing.

Over the past few months, the St John Fisher team have developed their ideas and last Friday they presented their idea not only to the special guests but to 200 of their peers at a Year 8 assembly.

Their project has been so well received that they recently won club heats run by Wigan Athletic Community Trust and will now represent the club at the 2026 Premier League Inspires Challenge Celebration at Everton FC's Hill Dickinson Stadium later this month.

"It's amazing what these girls have achieved," said Ms Nandy, MP for Wigan since 2010. "When I spoke with them, they said they couldn't believe that they'd been able to do this and get this far. To get to the final is a really significant moment.

"I hope that all of their Year 8 friends and peers will be able to see that ordinary people can go on to do extraordinary things, that we're not powerless and that you don't have to be famous or even in a position of authority to be able to create change.

"It shows what the power of sport can do. This team have used this power, backed by Wigan Athletic Community Trust and the Premier League, to reach people who wouldn't otherwise be reached with messages that they need to hear.

"By speaking up and speaking up on behalf, not just of themselves, but of other people, they have already made a really significant difference to people's lives whose names they will probably never know. That is what legacy looks like. They've already changed lives through what they've done and I want to thank the Premier League Inspires programme for helping to make it happen."

The team's 'More Than A Shirt' project is aimed at reducing stigma around body image and supporting young people who may struggle with negative self‑perception.

They have developed an app which provides support, quotes and guidance that will be advertised in school, at the club's stadium as well as across the local community.

And their reward for coming through the heats will be the trip to Merseyside, where they will join more than 50 other Premier League Inspires teams to display their mental wellbeing projects.

The special occasion gave St John Fisher pupils the opportunity to have their picture taken with the Premier League Trophy, while Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, sent a video message congratulating the team on their achievements.

"I want to say to the girls behind More Than a Shirt, what you've achieved is genuinely inspiring," he said. "You've focused on something that really matters: wellbeing, confidence and how young people feel about themselves.

"Your message is a powerful one. That who you are on the inside matters more than how you look. The way you've turned that into a campaign shows real creativity, empathy and leadership. You should be incredibly proud of what you've built together."

The subject of mental wellbeing is something close to the hearts of long-term friends Kirkland and Heskey, who spoke to the assembly about their experiences as Premier League and international footballers and also gave a candid account of the mental health struggles that they have dealt with over the years.

"Listening to the girls does hit home," Kirkland said. "My biggest regret is that I never said anything for 10 years. I never told the truth. You don't do you? You just say you're OK. We all do it.

"What we heard today is so needed. What this group of girls have done and are hoping to achieve is going to help so many people. It's going to make people think. It's absolutely incredible.

"Events like the challenge celebration doesn't happen without the Premier League. A lot of people talk a good game and don't do anything but this is living proof that there's many partners that want this to happen. I think it's amazing."

Heskey, who was team-mate of Kirkland at both Wigan and Liverpool as well as at international level, believes it is invaluable to have programmes that encourage people to talk about their mental health.

"Chris and I were together for six years and we never spoke about that kind of stuff," he said. "It was only later on that we asked ourselves 'why didn't we?'

"People don't talk about their feelings so it's great being here seeing young people being comfortable enough to speak out. They were unbelievable to think of a script, write the script out and then talk about their plans. What they're doing is fantastic. Being a part of this will be huge for them.

"I suffered. I don't want anyone else to have to go through that. To have organisations like the Premier League involved in encouraging conversations around mental health is massive. They're doing great things."

The Challenge is one element of the Premier League Inspires programme, which clubs run on a weekly basis to support young people who may be at risk of not reaching their potential as they move through the education system and early adulthood.

The programme, delivered by 54 professional football club charities, helps to prepare young people for further education and employment through a series of face-to-face mentoring sessions, workshops and social-action projects.