Striker Graham aiming high for World Cup glory
Published: 27 May 2010
by CHRIS COTTRELL
FANS may be unconvinced of England’s chances in South Africa next month but Camden’s Graham Leclerc insists there will be at least one World Cup victory this summer.
Leclerc, 35, is one of the stars of the British Cerebral Palsy side who kicked off the BT Paralympic World Cup campaign in Manchester yesterday (Wednesday).
Having lifted their first international trophy at the Arafura Games in Australia last summer and netted glory in the Home Nations Championships, Leclerc will be looking to continue England’s winning streak against rival teams representing Holland, Northern Ireland and the USA.
Leclerc, who is also looking forward to the European Championships in Glasgow in August, said: “It’s a massive summer for us. We’ve been getting stronger and stronger since I joined the team and there’s a genuine feeling of optimism and confidence that we can do something big.
“Obviously the Paralympic World Cup comes first and we’re definitely looking at winning that. Then we’ve got a big test at the European Championships later in the summer.
“It’s been a bit of a whirlwind since I joined the England team but we’re improving with every match and we haven’t lost a game since I started playing. We’re really excited about this summer – it should be fantastic.”
Leclerc was invited to train with the England squad in November 2008 after being spotted by head coach Lyndon Lynch at the Talacre Community Sports Centre in Kentish Town.
The striker, who says he’s more an Emile Heskey than a Wayne Rooney, admits the past 18 months have flown by as he prepares for the biggest international multi-sport disability competition leading up to London 2012.
“Lyndon asked me to come along to training and I haven’t looked back since,” said Leclerc. “I used to be a bit of a smoker and I was definitely thinking about hanging up my boots, but this opportunity has turned my life around. I’m out training six days a week and there’s a lot of optimism running through the squad.”
The BT Paralympic World Cup is running until May 31 and features the world’s leading international Paralympic athletes in athletics, seven-a-side football, swimming and wheelchair basketball. The supporting partners are Northwest Regional Development Agency and Manchester City Council. For details, visit www.paralympicworldcup.com