A FOOTBALLER who feared his career was over after suffering a serious injury is preparing to lead his sons out at Wembley before playing in a cup final.

Matt Coad snapped a cruciate ligament playing in the Northern League, but surgeons replaced it with one of his hamstrings.

After two successful operations and many physiotherapy sessions, the 27-year-old, from Darlington, fought his way back into the West Auckland team.

Mr Coad, a driver for Darlington-based car dealership Sherwoods, is part of the squad that will take on fellow Northern League outfit Dunston, in the FA Vase final, at Wembley, on May 13.

He plans to take his sons - Harley, five, Heath, three and nine-month-old Jude - as team mascots.

Mr Coad said: “I managed to secure a traineeship with York City straight from school and did a year with them as a professional.

“After that, I played for Crook Town, but when I snapped my cruciate ligament, I thought, ‘that’s it, game over’.

“It went through my head a million times whether I would ever play again and now, look, my first season back and I’m being rewarded by playing for West Auckland at Wembley.

“You dream of it as a boy but you don’t imagine it will ever happen.”

Mr Coad’s boss, Sherwoods managing director Alasdair MacConachie, said: “Matt has such passion for the game and we are thrilled he has managed to fight his way back from injury to live his dream at Wembley. We are all so proud of him.”

West Auckland are no strangers to glory having won the very first World Cup, defeating Juventus 6-1 in 1911.