'I thought Soccer Aid would just be a one-off'

Almost 20 years ago, close friends TV presenter Jonathan Wilkes and singer Robbie Williams were by a pool in Los Angeles when they came up with the idea of organising a charity football match.

They would later convince Argentine football star Diego Maradona to take part, along with other sportsmen and celebrities, and put on the very first Soccer Aid.

Since England beat the Rest of the World 2-1 in that 2006 match, the annual event has raised more than £100m for Unicef and featured some of the biggest names from sport and showbiz.

For Wilkes, from Baddeley Green, Stoke-on-Trent, the longevity of Soccer Aid has come as somewhat of a surprise to him.

"It's incredible, I can honestly say with my hand on my heart that I genuinely thought it was going to be a one-off in 2006," he told BBC Radio Stoke.

He said the idea first came to the pair when Unicef officials spoke about putting on an event, so Wilkes and Williams turned to their love of football.

As well as Maradona, stars in the first match included Wilkes, Williams, Peter Schmeichel, Gordon Ramsay and David Seaman.

Wilkes went on to score in the game and was named man of the match.

He said the competitiveness was "what it's all about", particularly with the professionals involved.

"If your dream, as a non-footballer, is to play with the likes of these players, you want to give it your best," he added.

This year's Soccer Aid is due to take place on Sunday and will feature stars like Louis Tomlinson, Denise Lewis, Wayne Rooney, Lee Mack, Jill Scott and Liv Sheldon aka Diamond from Gladiators.

Wilkes said this year's event would be "bigger and better" than ever, adding that "everybody goes with great spirits".

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