A FOOTBALLING hero is donating the royalties from his autobiography to children suffering with cancer.

Adrian Webster, who is currently the manager of the Under-21s team at Brightlingsea Regent FC, was inspired after needing treatment for bowel cancer.

While recovering at Colchester General Hospital he encountered teenage cancer sufferers and decided then to donate royalties from his recently-published book, Eternal Blue Forever Green, to the charity Children With Cancer UK.

Gazette:

He said: “I’ve had a really good life and those young guys are fighting for theirs.

“In America, I was chairman of the Special Olympics so I had a lot of dealings with kids with disabilities and spent time around those young patients so it was just a small way I could help.”

The 65-year-old football veteran – whose playing career took him to the top of USA soccer in the 1970s – tells all in his book.

It details the story of his 50 year football journey from life as an apprentice at Colchester United in the 1960s to a career in coaching which brought him back to his native Colchester.

The book’s publication came at an emotional time for Mr Webster who was preparing for retirement from the Colne Academy in Brightlingsea as the assistant director of football as well as coping with his treatment for cancer.

Next year is the 40th anniversary of his finest hour as a footballer - leading Seattle to the 1977 Soccer Bowl.

To mark the occasion he is planning a second commemorative book which will focus on those golden days alongside many famous footballing names including Brazil star Pelé.

He said: “I never thought I could write but I’ve got a taste for it and I wanted to remember the players who are no longer with us.

“It’s ironic because Seattle’s current team recently became Major League Soccer Cup champions and Pelé, along with a few other world champion winners, had their last North American Soccer League game in 1977 which is considered to be the best final.”

Mr Webster hopes the new book will be published early next year before he heads back out to the United States for a promotional tour.

He added: “I’m really excited. The last time I went back to Seattle was just over 25 years ago when I played a reunion game against Vancouver.”

Eternal Blue Forever Green is available on Amazon.