Footballer in transfer from pitch to front line

Lee Crooks, who made 73 appearances for the club between 1994 and 2001, has joined the RAF Regiment.

Wakefield-born Crooks, 33, played for a number of other clubs including Barnsley, Bradford City and Rochdale before he joined the regiment as a gunner in 2009.

He graduated to leading aircraftman a few weeks ago and is currently training range before moving to 1 Squadron RAF Regiment at RAF Honington in Suffolk.

He will leave on his first tour of Afghanistan early next year.

Comparing life as a professional footballer and a gunner, he said: “Both roles are about working as a team, being there for your team-mates and moving forward as a team. You have to be mentally and physically fit for both roles, but you train as a professional footballer for 90 minutes so the training is a lot more explosive, whereas being a gunner you have to be robust and have a lot more stamina as you are carrying heavy weight over longer distances and over longer days and nights.

“You train all week to prepare for the Saturday game and put everything that you’ve trained for in that game and it’s exactly the same as this. I have done my training and am now really looking forward to putting it into practice.”