Leeds football club's star goalkeeper to get bionic 'hero arm' after community raise £7k

Football-mad Wayde Drew is the star goalkeeper of Saxton FC in Richmond Hill, despite being born without his left forearm, and has impressed his teammates with his performances on the pitch.

While his mum Kirsty Norman said he "tries his best at everything", Wayde's confidence has taken a knock since he started secondary school, and he told her he "just wants to be the same as everybody else".

His family set up a GoFundMe appeal in February to raise £7,000 towards a hero arm, a prosthetic which will allow him to grip tiny objects, meaning he can tie his shoelaces for the first time.

When Saxton FC's founder, Jonny Nixon, heard about the campaign for Wayde's bionic arm, he jumped in to support the youngster.

They have now exceeded the target in less than two months - leaving his family in tears when Jonny broke the news.

"I was choked up myself," Jonny told the Yorkshire Evening Post.

"It was a really emotional day for everybody.

“We were really confident that we’d hit the target, because of how everyone was pulling together, but we didn’t think we’d hit it as quickly as we did."

The Open Bionics Foundation, which provides affordable prosthetic arms for amputees and people with limb differences, will fund the rest of the money needed - and Wayde's £13,000 bionic arm will soon be on the way.

Jonny praised the Leeds United Foundation for its support; some of the foundation's coaches will join Wayde's family as they embark on the challenging Leeds to Liverpool bike ride later this month.

The club will continue with its upcoming fundraising events and the money raised will be donated to the Open Bionics Foundation to help another child like Wayde.

Jonny added: “I think it’s Wayde’s courage and his attitude that has connected with people.

"You’ve got to meet him to believe how he is with his disability, it doesn’t faze him.

"I’m over the moon for him and his family. They’re a lovely family and I can’t think of any kid that deserves that more.”