When one thinks of football across Europe, he or she immediately thinks of stars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Paul Pogba strutting their stuff on stages like the UEFA Champions League.
But football doesn't only live in the spotlight. It lives in streets and towns; it lives in people's hearts and their blood.
Eddie Thomas from Merthyr in Wales embodies that. A footballer all his life and a former Welsh veteran's representative, the retired 66-year-old has turned to walking football to stay active and satisfy his unwavering love for the game.
"I think I had two sessions of walking football" said Eddie of his introduction to the format. "I loved it. I've hardly missed a session since."
Walking football is just one strand of the game UEFA is promoting with its #EqualGame campaign, drawing attention to the diversity and accessibility of the sport.
"During the course of my career, our beloved sport has taught me many things, but above all it's shown me that football really is a universal game that is accessible to all, regardless of ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation and religious beliefs," said Lionel Messi to UEFA.
Eddie would agree.
For more information on the initiative, visit EqualGame.com.
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