Jon Bolding, from Binfield, plays powerchair football, a form of the sport for people with disabilities where teams of four use powered wheelchairs with footguards to score goals.

After captaining England to a runners-up spot at the European Powerchair Football Association Nations Cup in Ireland last year, the 27-year-old is hoping to lead his country out at the World Cup in America next year.

But Mr Bolding, who suffers from a muscle growth condition called central core myopathy, has conceded his current wheelchair is “pretty run down” and is looking to raise £6,000 for a new one.

He said: “During games, our wheelchairs get a fair few knocks so after eight years my current wheelchair is falling apart. It is time for a new one!

“I absolutely love the sport and it has become a lifeline for me that I would never have used if I hadn’t discovered powerchair football.

“When I played normal football as a child I could not get my legs to do what I wanted them to do. With this sport I can do what I want to do and I use my knowledge of the game to its full potential.” He added that he and his wife Jamie are expecting their first child in June, so wants to concentrate on saving for its arrival.

Mr Bolding, who works as a software tester for Fujitsu in Thames Valley Park, Reading, took up the sport about 12 years ago after trying his hand in a tournament at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in Stanmore and has been hooked ever since.

He is also player-manager for a club team, Aspire PFC in Watford, and has been a season ticket holder at Arsenal for the past 15 years.

To help Mr Bolding’s cause, email him at JonBolding8@gmail.com