'It's a childhood dream come true' - Banbury footballer picked for England team at inaugural Transplant Football World Cup

Adam Martin, 33, will travel to Cervia to compete against 10 other countries at the inaugural Transplant Football World Cup (September 8-14).

An avid footballer in his teens and 20s, Adam gave up his position as a goalkeeper at Kings Sutton FC around ten years ago to focus on work.

Several years later, after experiencing chest pains, Adam visited the Horton Hospital, where he was told he had a high protein count in his blood.

This led to an appointment with a nephrologist in 2018, who diagnosed Adam with kidney disease and prescribed him steroids and immunosuppressants to build up his immune system.

In June 2022, Adam was then told he had kidney failure and was advised to find a family member he could use for a kidney transplant.

Adam’s mother and two sisters both went for compatibility tests, with his older sister returning as a perfect match for the transplant.

This led to Adam undergoing the transplant at the beginning of last year at Coventry Hospital and making a full recovery from his kidney disease.

Adam said: “During my illness, I had anaemia and had to go for regular iron infusions because of low energy.

"Simple things like being a father to my children or doing a full shift at work were really hard, so to be able to return to normality again is amazing!

"I’m really grateful for my family and sister for helping me out and for my wife and children for being understanding and able to support me.”

Following a break of ten years away from competitive sport, Adam believed his best years were behind him and it was unlikely he would ever play football again.

However, a chance encounter with Daley Cross, the manager of the England transplant football team at a clinic in Oxford, saw Adam being reintroduced to competitive sport.

Adam said: “By chance, I came across Daley, who I used to play with for Banbury United when we were 15.

"He asked me to play for the Oxford team at the British Transplant Games in Coventry, and I was also asked to play in a tournament in Wales, which led to being selected for England.”

A year later, Adam has been training with the transplant team in Dunstable, ready for the very first international football tournament celebrating athletes who have undergone transplant surgery.

The England team will compete against teams from Australia, Chile, France, Italy, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Romania, Spain, the United States and Wales in a seven-a-side knockout-style tournament.

Speaking about travelling to Italy this week to represent his country at football, Adam said: “It’s great that I’m able to do this, and it goes to show that transplantations are not limitations! To be able to play for England is a childhood dream come true for anyone.

"Our team has the ability to do very well at this tournament, and we are feeling confident about the end result.”