A FOOTBALLER has donated life-saving medical equipment to a community football club.
Steve Cook, who plays for AFC Bournemouth in the Championship, has provided Hollington United Community FC in Hastings with a new defibrillator kit.
The club announced on their Twitter page that the defender, who was born in Hastings, had paid for the new equipment saying it was a "fantastic gesture from a local legend."
The 30-year-old played three times for Brighton and Hove Albion after coming through their youth set-up, appearing in the famous League Cup victory over Manchester City.
He responded to the tweet and said: "My pleasure. Such an important piece of equipment that every club should have."
Scott Price, director of football, said: "The club put a tweet out about help for donations towards a defibrillator; Steve contacted me within 15 minutes and said he'd buy us one. Five mins later, the money was in the bank, and the defibrillator was bought.
"Did it surprise me? Yes and no. It's the sort of guy he is. So down to earth, he never has forgotten his roots.
"But he didn't have to act, he could have pretended he didn't see it. So for us, it's simply amazing, and we are so thankful to him."
The club will be installing the defibrillator kit in their home ground at Gibbons Memorial Playing Fields, Wishing Tree Road.
The equipment will be accessible to the players and the public who use the playing fields.
READ MORE: Buxted Football Club fundraising to repair defibrillator kit
On Sunday, Buxted FC in Uckfield had their defibrillator kit destroyed by vandals and Hollington are determined not to have the same happen to them.
Mr Price added said: "We have contacted the council to see the best and safest way of keeping it accessible to the whole community."
The donation from the defender has followed Danish footballer Christian Eriksen collapsing during his country's game against Finland in Copenhagen, Denmark, during the 2020 Euros.
The former Tottenham Hotspur star was given prolonged medical treatment on the pitch after suffering a cardiac arrest before being taken to hospital, where he is now awake and recovering.
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