Football was my first love. In my youth, I played six times a week in local amateur leagues. One day, I was taking a shot when a defender ran into me – my leg was going one way, my body the other, and my knee snapped. I was 21, and that was the end of my footballing career – until two years ago, when, with no cartilage left and screws holding my knee together, I lined up against Shrewsbury Town for my first competitive match in 20 years, all thanks to walking football.

It is a more controlled game, adapted to make it safer for people who can’t play the mainstream, faster version. The key difference, obviously, is that you have to walk – which means having one foot in contact with the ground at all times. If the referee decides you’re running, a free-kick is awarded to the opposition.

Walking quickly is still physically challenging; it’s not just a gentle stroll. I sweat buckets. A lot of people think it is just a bunch of old men toe-poking a ball to each other. But when they see how competitive it is, they’re amazed.

Players are split into age groups. Generally – though it’s not always the case – a 40-year-old can get around a lot quicker at their walking pace than a 60-year-old. At my club in Birmingham, we have sessions for men and women, and for lots of age groups: over 40s, over 50s, over 60s, over 65s, and less mobile people. It’s very social. It’s not uncommon for guys to say that, before they discovered walking football, they would just sit at home watching telly until their wives told them it was time to go out. Now they’re out of the house, interacting with like-minded people, exercising their bodies and their minds.

Nobody stops playing football because they don’t like it any more; they stop because they think their time is up, either through age or injury. Football was taken away from me at 21. To have found a way to play again is just the most amazing feeling.

My weekend workout

Years playing? Two. The sport has been around for four.
How often do you play? Twice a week.
Most goals scored in a match? Five, in my first game.
Post-match ritual? A cup of tea with the guys and girls.

Five ways to get started

1 Find your nearest club. You can search by region at walkingfootballunited.co.uk.

2 Don’t overexert yourself in your first session. I’ve lost count of the number of people who act as if they’re 20 again, stretch for a ball, and end up hurting themselves. Warm up before you play, and do some proper stretching afterwards.

3 Many of the rules are there to prevent injury. There are no sliding tackles and no tackling from behind. If you want to take the ball from an opponent, you have to be front-on to them.

4 It can be a more technical game than regular football. If you misplace a pass or put the ball in front of somebody, they can’t run to recover it. As a result, accuracy is key. The tactic is to play the ball to your team-mate’s feet. Pass and move.

5 Walking football does tend to be aimed at men over 50, but neither age nor gender is a barrier to play. It doesn’t matter if you’re 40 and have just finished playing at a high level, or are 75 and have never kicked a ball in your life – there’s a club out there for you.

Essential kit