‘How I became the Lionel Messi of Walking Football’
A 71-year-old walking footballer said he was in a “state of shock” after being crowned as the sport’s world player of the year.
Spencer Pratten, from Great Waltham near Chelmsford, started playing walking football about 10 years ago and said it had changed his life.
The chartered surveyor used to play mainstream football semi-professionally for Chelmsford City FC and has even been likened to Argentinian superstar Lionel Messi.
He is due to receive his engraved trophy in the next few weeks from the international governing body, the Federation of International Walking Football Associations.