A WHEELCHAIR footballer who one day dreams of representing England is appealing for help to buy a top of the range model to keep up with other players.

Sam Bailey has represented Reading Powerchair Football Club (PFC) for seven years and is hoping he can achieve his ambition of playing for his country by buying a Strike Force chair.

The 20-year-old captain of Reading PFC has become frustrated of being outdone by less experienced players with better models, which have previously only been available at an international level.

Sam has a muscle-wasting condition called Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and has achieved regional success during his time with the squad.

He said: "I want to take my game to the next level and to do this I need a Strike Force powerchair, a specialised chair designed to compete at the highest level.

"I got involved with powerchair football after trying the sport at a taster session. I had always loved normal football from a young age and so I grabbed the opportunity to play.

"Without the Strike Force chair I will be left behind and dreams of winning titles will be lost. It does come with a large price tag and I am currently raising funds to purchase the chair."

Sam is hoping to raise £10,000 to purchase the premium wheelchair and has so far received more than £1,500 from 50 supporters.

Until recently, only the England national team have had access to the Strike Force model, but Sam is struggling to keep up with the competition.

He added: "My current chair is letting me down and I find less experienced players are able to do things quicker.

"I have been playing for seven years now and the experience I have gained is being tested with better equipment.

"The chair I use now is unable to keep up and due to its age it has reliability problems.

"Any help would be greatly appreciated. Like any player I dream of being selected for the England squad."

Visit: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/sambailey-strikeforcefund to make a donation to his online fundraising page.