Meet the Leeds Rhinos fan starting his own charity football club for his 'icon and hero' Rob Burrow

Regan Talbot, of Bramley, is in the early stages of putting together MND Awareness FC, which he hopes will drive both awareness and cash for motor neurone disease (MND) charities.

The 24-year-old wants to bring together the sports he loved playing as a child – rugby league and football – and make a difference for the people with the degenerative disease.

He said: “It’s for one of my icons and heroes, Rob Burrow, who I idolised as a kid when I used to play rugby league myself. What he is going through at the minute is shocking.”

Regan began playing rugby at the age of eight and played alongside a number of stars who have since turned professional. At the age of 14, he also picked up football.

A Leeds United season ticket holder, Regan said it’s the “buzz” that surrounds the two sports which he enjoys the most. He added: “I just love watching it. Obviously, I'm a big Leeds United fan and Leeds Rhinos fan. I enjoy going to games.

“It's just the buzz of it as well, especially when we're winning, but also when we are beaten, it’s quite heartbreaking. I take it really personally because I have been a Leeds fan since I was born.

"I just love sport, especially football. For those 90 minutes, whatever problems you have got, they go away – not just when you're playing, but when you're watching it as well.”

With his playing days behind him, Regan is currently looking to complete an apprenticeship with Bagnalls as a painter and decorator while making his dreams of running the charity football club come to life.

MND Awareness FC is still in its infancy, but Regan said he is happy with the progress he has made. At present, he has two sponsors from local businesses and has designed the player’s kits.

He has also had a meeting with MND Association to discuss working together. Regan said: “I didn't expect it to even get this far. It's already progressing. I’ve not really done much at the minute and it’s already going through the roof. I want to get it to semi-pro level, or even higher than that.”

The aim is to raise funds through charity fixtures played across the country, including for Leeds Hospitals Charity for a new MND centre, My Name'5 Doddie Foundation, Darby Rimmer Foundation as well as MND Association.

Regan said: “The Association has always been around but it needs help. This disease needs a cure.”

As someone from a working class background, Regan said he knows the struggles that families can go through and wants to highlight that those from working class backgrounds with MND have even greater struggles.

He said: “This is about raising money for them as well. There’s normal people like myself, with normal occupations, where funds are already tight.”

Regan aims to draft in professional sports stars to support the new club – from rugby, football or boxing – using his connections from his sporting days. He’s inviting more people and sponsors to get involved.