Leeds star Tom Zanetti set to play in celebrity football match for Bradley Lowery Foundation

The Leeds musician and reality TV star will join a star-studded line-up to raise money for two charities, the Bradley Lowery Foundation and OSCAR's Paediatric Brain Tumour Charity (PBTC). Singer songwriter James Arthur has also been confirmed on the team sheet.

The celebs will tie up their boots on Sunday September 24 and take to the pitch at York’s LNER Stadium. The event offers fun for all the family, with the opportunity to meet the celebrities and get photos, as well as watch the game.

The Bradley Lowery Foundation was established in August 2017 after Sunderland fan Bradley Lowery, six, lost his fight to Neuroblastoma, a rare and aggressive form of childhood cancer. OSCAR’s PBTC provides ongoing support, care, awareness and research for children with brain tumours and their families, and is in memory of nine-year-old Oscar Hughes, who died of a brain tumour in 2014.

The chief operating officer of the Bradley Lowery Foundation, Lynn Murphy, said: ‘’We held a celebrity match at the Stadium of the Light in May, which raised over £20,000. It was a huge success, so we wanted to bring it the Yorkshire area.

"We have teamed with a local charity, OSCAR’s PBTC, their objectives are very similar to the BLF’s and his story really hit home with us. We are all about collaboration, so to be able to work with OSCAR’s PBTC to bring this event to York is great.’’

Kick off for the celebrity charity match, organised by Sellebrity Soccer, will be at 3pm. Tickets are on sale now on the York Stadium website.

Phil Martinez, charity manager of OSCAR’s PBTC, said: “It’s great to be teaming up with The Bradley Lowery Foundation for this event. Both charities were established for very similar reasons, so we have a lot in common. It is going to be an amazing day; we have some amazing names on board, and more to follow.’’

Zanetti is no stranger to the world of celebrity sport, having competed in two boxing fights this year. In April, he lost to Jarvis Khattri in the the World’s First YouTube Boxing Tournament.