Jack Downer: “My ultimate dream is to have panna cages in parks in the UK”.

Can you introduce yourself?

Hey guys, I’m Jack Downer otherwise online known as streetpanna. I Am a panna representative from the UK and have been enjoying panna for 8 years! I daily post videos on my Instagram and Youtube channels for the people to enjoy. I started playing 11 a side affter watching Ronaldinho on YouTube. Then I switched to panna following an injury when I was 14, never looked back since.

My goal is..

For the future my ultimate dream is to have panna cages in parks in the UK, and to also have an indoor arena in the UK where everyone can come and train street football.

Which moment in your life are you most proud of and why?

I am fortunate enough to to have done many things that I’m proud of, from playing alongside David Beckham to travelling Europe competing with Tango Squad Fc. I’m most proud of the way panna is growing in the UK, it is becoming more mainstream. Ballers from all over the world are sending me their skills. It’s amazing to see the sport grow and when panna is bigger in the UK, I will be really proud of my part.

You have met a lot of famous players around the world such as Kaka, Pogba and Lukaku. Which one was the most exciting?

For me it was the craziest meeting Beckham. He surprised us just before a five a side match and came and joined our match. In that game he passed the ball to me from kick off and I scored from his pass, this was pretty insane. I have also met Paul Pogba and he is the most technical player I have ever seen, he is so strong, fast and coordinated. I do not want to play against him on the pitch.

What is something you would say to a young Jack Downer at the beginning of his career? 

One thing I would say to a young Jack, practice your weak foot straight away!! I didn’t use it for the first couple of years. When I grew older it was way harder to learn. In addition to that I would also say don’t worry about not winning, you don’t have to win all the time, infact embrace losing as you will progress more from your losses than your wins!

What is your funniest experience meeting a fan?

Once I was filming a YouTube video, I was taking a break and scrolled through TikTok and there was a video of me on my recommended page. It was of me filming the exact YouTube video that I was doing. It turns out a fan was filming from his window. After a while he came down and got a panna. This was pretty weird seeing myself on my newsfeed from about five minutes before.

Have you ever received a panna and if so from whom?

I have recieved many pannas. Recently I haven’t received too many, but I have recieved pannas from a lot of players. When I was 15 Mo Boutaka got me one, what a legend he is! But the person that got me the most was my dad. We used to train a lot and he was very sneaky.

Who do you think is the best street footballer in the world and why?

Best street footballer? Now that’s a crazy question! There are so many top tier players! Currently Rakaba is right at the top, alongside Easy Man… he is always at the top! Ofcourse Bencok is one of the best! Obviously every baller in Copenhagen is amazing aswell. The level is so high it’s exciting, but right now my favourite street footballers are in Berlin, love their style! Alsoooo Edward van Gils man, he always has to be on the list, GOAT, never seen someone who is so strong on the ball.