'Difficult to comprehend...': Chelsea's Kai Havertz to auction specially-designed boots for Germany flood relief

Chelsea's Kai Havertz has come forward to help the victims of Germany's devastating floods after at least 189 people lost their lives in mid-July. The reports from the region have revealed that houses and their occupants swept away in the Ahr valley, in the state of Rhineland Palatinate, the worst-affected area.

The German footballer said that he will auction off the specially-designed boots that he will wear during the Premier League match against Arsenal on Sunday. He said his limited edition boots are a "sign of solidarity" with those suffering, to show that he "stands with his community".

Havertz aims to raise funds and awareness for those affected by flooding in his native country and also hopes to rebuild the communities which have been destroyed.

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Taking to his Twitter, he wrote, "You may have heard of the floods in Germany, the effects are still very much there today, in my home region. There is much work to do to repair the damage for many families and their homes,"

"I was so shocked when I first saw the images, it's difficult to comprehend what the people must be going through right now, but I knew I had to do something," said Havertz on Friday.

"We are all at risk of a natural disaster hitting our homes, the places filled with childhood memories. From this video you may feel connected with my home region and the challenges we face," the footballer wrote.

"I'm in a hugely privileged situation and I hope by starting this campaign supporting the Red Cross Germany I can inspire others to give what they can to help," he added.

"By donating money, we can help Red Cross Germany with their relief and assistance efforts on the ground to make sure it gets to people that need it most."

He added, "To help support the @roteskreuz_de I have developed a one-off design for 100 pairs of @nikefootball boots to help raise money and awareness in the hope of rebuilding the communities which have been destroyed."

Havertz will then auction the boots and one of his signed match shirts, with all proceeds going to Red Cross Germany.

Havertz's boots and signed shirt will be available for bids on the Charity Stars website, with donations via the Red Cross' donation page from August 22-27.

(with inputs from agencies)