John Hammonds is an England international.

That’s a claim that very few people can make and while the 61-year-old admits it’s a “bit surreal”, he says it also makes him “very proud”.

And Hammonds is also a successful England international because he’s just helped his country become over-60s European walking football champions.

That tournament was played at Chesterfield and the goalkeeper has now played five times for his country after making his debut in Italy last year.

“They played the national anthem before that first game and I pumped out my chest a bit,” recalled Hammonds. “It was a very proud moment, absolutely, we had the Three Lions on the shirt.

“They gave us a tie and a lapel badge when we played our first game and I’ve also got a medal after winning the European championships.”

Hammonds is a recent convert to the sport having only taken it up a couple of years ago, so how did he get into it?

“It was through Alan Watts who is a neighbour of mine in Tuffley, he’s a former semi-pro footballer and he kept badgering me to play,” said Hammonds, who plays for Stroud and Abbeymead Rovers.

His wife Ali is a big supporter of his walking football – “She got treated like royalty when we played in Italy,” said Hammonds – and it’s a sport that he thoroughly enjoys.

“You still have to be fit to play it,” said Hammonds. “Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. If you’re a drinker or a smoker you wouldn’t last two minutes.

“I’ve always enjoyed running and fitness. I’m running 10 miles a week, playing for England has taken it to a different level.”

And he wants to stay very much involved with England, especially with the first ever walking World Cup taking place next year.

“Very much so,” said Hammonds, “I even go and see a qualified sports masseur these days!”

Hammonds has always been a goalkeeper. At 16 and a half stone he’s certainly got the build for it and he said: “I dive around a lot, I’m a lunatic!

“My agility has never waned, I’m quite proud of my agility.”

These days Hammonds works for himself as a kitchen fitter but back in the day he was a career policeman.

“I played football for the police and also for Northleach,” he said.

He also played five-a-side football in Gloucester for a team called PIMs – it stands for Poetry in Motion! – and he still plays ‘normal’ football for Abbeymead Rovers super vets although he says after playing walking football he has to “get used to the bigger goals again!”

Abbeymead Rovers are the club that Stuart Langworthy has done so much for over the years, of course, and Langworthy is now manager of England’s over-60s walking football team.

“I can’t speak highly enough of him,” said Hammonds. “He’s a damn good egg. It’s the perfect role for him because his strengths are that he’s organised and he’s honest. And his son Ross is one of the coaches too.”

Playing for England’s walking footballers has also given Hammonds the chance to rub shoulders with Liverpool legend Alan Kennedy, someone who was instrumental in helping the club dominate domestic and European football back in the 70s and 80s.

”He is still very competitive,” said Hammonds. “He’s still very fit and you can see why he was a winner all those years ago.

“He’s an excellent bloke. He’s been there and done it, it’s a privilege to play with him, it’s great fun.”