Meet the Devon donkey named after Premier League forward Kai Havertz

The Donkey Sanctuary Sidmouth has named one of its newest arrivals after Premier League footballer and donkey champion Kai Havertz.

Kai the foal was born to rescued donkey Rosie at the international animal welfare charity’s headquarters in Devon in early spring.

The striker is believed to be completing a transfer from Chelsea to Arsenal this week.

The decision to name him Kai was prompted by a newspaper article in which the sought after football star talked about his long-held regard for the animals.

In the article Kai revealed that his teammates call him "donkey" due to his affection for them. The star striker was given the nickname because he is said to be a "deep thinker" and "calming presence" on the field.

Animal-lover Kai, who grew up spending time with rescued donkeys at a sanctuary near his hometown of Aachen in Germany, said: "I have followed the work of The Donkey Sanctuary for some time so when they got in touch to say they’d like to name a foal after me, I was delighted.

"Donkeys are such incredible animals, and I am very happy to give my name so this little donkey can help raise awareness of the importance of good donkey welfare, here and all around the world."

The staff at the sanctuary wanted to recognise Kai’s appreciation of these often-misunderstood animals and their emotional intelligence, and the effort he is making through his new foundation to improve the lives of donkeys in his home country of Germany. 

It appears the fluffy grey and white donkey foal, who has already captured the hearts of his grooms at the sanctuary in Sidmouth, seems to be a fan of the beautiful game too and enjoys kicking a ball around.

Marianne Steele, CEO of The Donkey Sanctuary, added: "Kai has proved to be a real champion of donkeys in every sense of the word.

"We are so pleased to have the opportunity to name our new foal after him and hope he will continue to inspire people to think about donkeys differently.”