A former semi-professional footballer has described how quick-fire national and international double delight has given his career a new lease of life.

Ex-Gravesend & Northfleet and Erith & Belvedere man Gary Groom helped England over-50s win the World Nations Cup and claimed The Walking Football Association (WFA) National Finals crown with his club, Bexley, last year.

After giving up veterans football, he thought his playing days were numbered.

He said: “I was with Tottenham and Arsenal as a youth, and then captained Charlton’s youth team. I was Rob Lee’s captain!

“But when push came to shove, I didn’t get signed by a professional club and I drifted into the semi-professional stuff.

“I have always enjoyed my football and this has given me a new lease of life. Since I’d given up playing vets - I was still going to the gym and all that - but this has kicked in.

“It’s all done properly with England. I have got a cap that’s been embroidered for the World Nations Cup.

"We try to train once every six weeks.”

Groom was tempted to give walking football a go by goalkeeper Mickey Orme. Orme, a former Erith & Belvedere player, still wants to continue playing - despite a recent hip replacement.

Groom said: “He talked me into it. I was like a lot of people, saying ‘walking football?’ and sort of turned my nose up a bit a couple of times.

“But he twisted my arm and I really enjoy it now. Within no time, really, I had an England trial and they liked me.

“I sneaked into their last squad before the World Nations Cup.”

Bexley-based Groom often finds himself in midfield.

“Because it’s six-a-side, you, obviously, have five outfield players,” he said. “The normal formation is 1-3-1 and I like to play in the middle of the three.

“But to be fair, with England, I’m either on the left or the right because I’ve only just broken into the team.

"The last training session, he (manager Lach Geddes) did put me in the middle.

“We’re playing the Republic of Ireland in Birmingham in June and I’ve got an inkling he might try me out in the middle.”

The World Nations Cup tournament was held at St George’s Park in late August.

Having moved through their group with a perfect record, Groom continued: “We got The Basque Country, they had their own team, in the Quarter-Finals the following day, and beat them 2-1. The Semi-Finals was that afternoon against Spain. We beat them 2-1.

“The next day, we had Czech Republic, who we had already beaten in the group stages quite convincingly, so, you never take anything for granted, but we were confident.

“It was a 1-1 draw. They kept putting five players on, five players off every five minutes, and that really disrupted the flow of the game.

"But luckily, we came through on penalties.”

Another familiar name to Ebbsfleet United fans won in the over-60s category.

Groom said: “The over-60s also won and Andy Douglas, another Gravesend & Northfleet favourite, plays for them.”

Groom played more than 100 times for the Stonebridge Road side and twice won promotion in 1988/89 and 1993/94.

“I loved it there,” he noted. “Although I was at Fisher Athletic and Erith & Belvedere, it’s in my heart.

“We won the Beazer Homes League when I was with them. That was the second time.”

Groom still tries to watch the Fleet when he can and is fondly remembered by some at the club, including their communications manager, Ed Miller.

“I get there when I can,” he explained. “They look after me when I go. A lot of it is thanks to Ed Miller, really.

“I don’t know if many other people would remember me - but he was a young lad when I started playing.”

Not long after becoming a world champion, Groom, who had dashed over to Spain where his wife Kim recently inherited a villa from her parents, was swiftly heading back to the UK to help Bexley become national champions in Nottingham.

He said: “I changed my flight and left my wife in Spain, and flew back a bit early. I had pre-warned the wife!

“Luckily, we had our son, Jack, with us. He’s in his 20s. But she would be all right out there anyway, to be honest.

“Anyway, I flew back on the Thursday and we travelled to Nottingham on the Friday.

“Then, we won, so that was nice. I was well pleased with that - becoming world champion and national champion within 10 days.

“I’d only taken up the sport eight months previously!”

Groom is showing little sign of slowing down despite turning 60 next November.

“You don’t have to move up,” he said. “It’s not a requisite as soon as you’re 60 that you move up.

"It’s more about when you cannot cut it (at that age) any more.

“I see the over-50s as the first team so I’ll try to stay in the over-50s as long as I can.”

Visit thewfa.co.uk to find out more about walking football.