A Banbury footballer who made history as part of the first England squad to win the Cerebral Palsy World Cup has described the experience as “unbelievable”.

Harry Baker was part of the England squad that travelled to Peachtree City, Georgia, for the 20th International Federation of Cerebral Palsy Football (IFCPF) World Cup this month.

The Banbury man, who works as a youth activator for Cherwell District Council, played a key role in helping the Para Lions, as the team are known, lift the trophy for the very first time.

For Harry, one of the most experienced players in the squad, with 10 major competitions under his belt, the victory fulfilled a lifelong ambition.

Banbury footballer Harry Baker has helped England make history by winning the Cerebral Palsy World Cup for the first time.

placeholder image — Banbury footballer Harry Baker has helped England make history by winning the Cerebral Palsy World Cup for the first time.

He said: “It still hasn’t sunk in yet. I’ve always dreamt of playing for my country at World Cups and European Championships, and hoped to win one.

“Over the past few years we have got closer and closer, and to finally do it, it’s just unbelievable.”

England and Harry's route to the final was far from straightforward, with the squad facing strong Asian sides Japan and Indonesia, as well as familiar rivals Ireland.

Harry demonstrated his experience by scoring England's first goal of the tournament, helping settle nerves and secure victory against Japan.

The Para Lions followed this with a 2-0 win over Indonesia before thrashing Ireland 7-0 to finish top of their group.

They scored 14 goals in the group stage, three of which came from Harry, without conceding.

A difficult quarter-final against the Netherlands followed, with England eventually securing a 2-1 victory.

The players then produced one of their best performances of the tournament, beating Brazil 2-0, with the South American side ranked highest in the competition.

This set up a final against the USA, who were expected to have the advantage playing in front of home fans.

After a cagey contest, the hosts took the lead with just three minutes of normal time remaining.

However, England refused to give up and found a last-minute equaliser to take the match into extra time.

Against the odds, England's David Porcher found the net in extra time to secure an incredible victory.

Harry said: “That feeling was just incredible. Seeing the goal go in and thinking, ‘Oh my goodness, we’ve made it. We’ve got a chance to win this’.

“The next 10 to 15 minutes were the longest of my life. The whistle just blew as USA came forward on the attack looking for an equaliser.”

Lifting the trophy was particularly significant for Harry, who has spent the past decade playing for England.

When he first represented his country at a World Cup in 2013, England were unable to progress beyond the group stages and finished ninth out of 12 teams.

He said: “It’s incredible to see how far England have come and how far Cerebral Palsy football has come in this country.”

Harry hopes the victory will bring greater attention to disability sport and encourage the next generation to follow in the team's footsteps.

He added: “It’s important for us to keep the exposure and try and inspire as many young people as possible to either watch disability sport or play it.”

Harry and the rest of the England squad will appear on Channel 4's The Last Leg on Friday, October 30, to discuss the victory.