If you ever saw former England goalkeeper David James at the side of the road looking frustrated, it will have been because his environmentally friendly car had broken down.
James is an environmentalist, and after the World Cup in Germany in 2006 he was contacted by a charity that converted diesel engines to run on rapeseed oil.
He said: “The car broke down numerous times, once with my family. It was teething problems, but I was prepared to do it because I thought if I talk about the environment then don’t do it myself, I’m essentially a hypocrite.
“I was stuck on the M27 with my kids waiting for a pick-up, and 2,000 cars drove past. None of them would have been rapeseed oil and I thought, ‘why am I doing this?’ But I thought, ‘If I don’t do this then no-one else will.'”
James, who made 572 Premier League appearances, is now involved in a scheme to save one million pairs of football boots from landfill.
The initiative encourages people to donate or claim pre-worn boots with the intention of saving families money, and positively impacting the environment. It is estimated the scheme could have the same effect as taking 7,000 cars off the road for a year.
James, who guesses he went through 1,000 pairs of boots over a 20-year career, knows the impact this could have on the environment and the grassroots game.
By Alex Howell / BBC Sport
Photo by Fachry Zella Devandra