Freddie Plank used to struggle while playing football, as he couldn't hear his coaches shout advice or his team-mates yell for a pass. But now that has all changed.

The six-year-old, from Cliffe Woods, was diagnosed as being moderately deaf when he was two-and-a half after his parents, Annie, 28, and Steve, 31, noticed he was struggling to hear when they went out.

Cliffe Woods Colts coach and manager explaining the new radio aid

Annie explained that when Freddie is in an open area and there is a lot of background noise he cannot grasp the direction the sound is coming from.

If multiple people are calling him, that can also be confusing too.

It meant it was particularly hard for Freddie, who has a brother, Harley, and sister, Maisie, to enjoy the sport he loves.

Annie, who works as a support worker, said: "We only started to notice on the pitch when he was that much further away.

"Football is his life. For him to be struggling a little bit – it is not very nice to watch as a parent.

"Despite every effort from the coaches, it was beginning to have a negative impact on his experience due the background noise, wind and acoustics interfering with his hearing aids and making it harder for him to hear.

"This can be very upsetting and distressing for Freddie."

The family decided to look into getting Freddie, who plays for Cliffe Woods Colts Under 7s, a radio aid which is worn around the football coach's neck and feeds noise directly into his hearing aids.

They were unable to get one on the NHS as it was not needed for school, so they started a JustGiving online fundraising page.

In less than a day they had raised the £1,160 they needed for the equipment.

Two processors clip securely into Freddie's hearing aids and transmit the sound picked up by the radio aid directly into them, so he is able to hear clearly.

Annie, of Hale Road in Cliffe Woods, said: "He seems to absolutely love it. His face lit up when we tried it. I am hoping it will encourage him to wear his hearing aids more at home. It has been amazing to raise the money so quickly."

Even in his first training session with the new technology, everyone noticed a difference.

Under 7s manager Liam Bush said: "We used to have to call for his attention which was quite a struggle sometimes.

"It would take three or four attempts for us to get his attention but with the radio aid you do not even need to shout.

"You do not even need to have it close to you or press any buttons – it is just on all the time.

"It will change how we manage Fred and I think it will change how he plays."

Team coach Lewis Cook agreed. "We would literally be shouting his name," he said. "With the radio aid as soon as we got here and turned it on, everything we said Freddie could hear.

"He was responsive to what we were saying and genuinely I did not know how it was going to work but I am really impressed with it.

"It will definitely help our lives going forward and make the football more enjoyable for Freddie, so that is the main thing."

After raising the funds so quickly, the team have decided to continue fundraising for a defibrillator for the club's training ground and two charities – The Laurence Plummer Foundation, which helps disadvantaged children to access sport, and The Kent Deaf Children's Society.

The club are holding a sponsored silent football match on Saturday, January 8, with free kicks to be given to the opposing team if any player speaks during the game – and fines for parents if they are caught talking.

If you would like to donate to the fundraiser or find out more you can do so by clicking here.