Ex-footballer rides in long-distance charity relay

Former footballer Curtis Davies has joined a long-distance cycle relay to encourage fans to learn life-saving skills.

On Friday, the ex-Hull City defender set off from the MKM stadium on his 31-mile (50km) leg of the Every Minute Matters Relay to Grimsby Town's Blundell Park.

The 2,486-mile (4,000km) event is the latest phase of a Sky Bet and British Heart Foundation campaign to get fans clued up on CPR. So far, 235,000 people are said to have started learning the skill.

The 28-day relay will cross England and Wales and take in every one of the 72 clubs in the English Football League, before reaching Wembley Stadium on 21 April.

Participants have signed up to walk, run or cycle one of legs, and will urge fans to donate their time by learning CPR using the British Heart Foundation's online RevivR tool.

Other footballing names taking part in the challenge include Sam Allardyce, Jack Wilshere, Graeme Souness, Glenn Hoddle, Dion Dublin, Troy Deeney and Tom Lockyer.

They will be joined by comedian Elis James and broadcaster Sir Tony Robinson.

Davies said he was motivated to take on the challenge after the ordeal of Luton captain Lockyer, who survived a cardiac arrest in December 2023 while playing against Bournemouth.

He said: "When we see the likes of Tom Lockyer going down, when we see the likes of Christian Eriksen going down, the most fortunate thing for them was they were in the middle of a pitch so they were able to get aid really quickly."

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