What happened to the Soccer Aid co-founder who had to stop playing in the games?
Soccer Aid co-founder Jonathan Wilkes is usually a bit of a mystery during the big annual match, and now we know why.
On Sunday night, celebrities and football legends will team up to play on the pitch and raise money for charity in this year’s Soccer Aid.
Stars like Wayne Rooney, Jill Scott, Jack Wilshere, and Theo Walcott will be playing for England, while Leonardo Bonucci, Ali Krieger, and Jordi Alba will take the field for the World XI.
New faces this year include reality TV star Chloe Burrows, actor Chris O’Dowd, musician Simon Neil, former England rugby player Joe Marler, and young actor Owen Cooper. They’ll join returning favorites like Usain Bolt, Tom Hiddleston, Olly Murs, and co-founder Robbie Williams.
But one familiar face you won’t see this time is Jonathan Wilkes, who started Soccer Aid with Robbie Williams back in 2006. Since then, the event has raised over £120 million for UNICEF UK and has become one of the biggest sports charity events.
Wilkes used to play alongside the celebrities and football legends, appearing six times for England, with his last game in 2017. Many thought he was one of the best celeb players, having played football professionally as a kid, signing for Port Vale FC at seven and later for Everton as a teen.
Instead of a football career, Wilkes chose to focus on presenting, acting, and singing, following his childhood friend Robbie Williams into showbiz. After his last match nine years ago, a recurring hamstring injury made him decide to take a step back from playing and focus on helping behind the scenes.
Today, Wilkes is still a big part of Soccer Aid, working hard on organizing and promoting the event. Talking about his friendship with Robbie and their work together, Wilkes said, “It doesn’t matter if we haven’t spoken for months, we always pick up where we left off. I’m so proud of him — he’s been my best mate all my life. Our mums are best friends too, and we grew up together doing ‘am dram.’”