Crossen had to learn how to walk and talk after his stroke. He kept going and now captains the
England cerebral palsy team
By Harry De Cosemo for The Set Pieces
Matt Crossen’s life turned upside down on 13 November 2013. He was a 23-year-old semi-professional footballer with high hopes but, three weeks after suffering a nose injury while playing for Marske United in the Northern League, he had a stroke. Crossen has never fully recovered.
The left side of his body was permanently paralysed and he has lived with cerebral palsy ever since. His body changed but his desire to play
Football never left him. Crossen now splits his time on the pitch between playing 11-a-side in non-league and captaining England’s cerebral palsy team, who play seven-a-side games with smaller goals.