Alan Rogers may be 55 but he has no intention of hanging up his boots.

Sussex soccer's super veteran plans to play on for a few more years yet, possibly until he is 60.

Goalkeeper Rogers is probably the oldest player in Britain still playing county league level or above.

Now turning out for Sussex County League division three side Lingfield, Rogers has spent a lifetime in Sussex and Kent football.

It started with his senior debut for Eastbourne United almost 35 years ago and along the way he has played with the likes of Malcolm MacDonald and Andy Townsend.

Amazingly, Rogers not only plays on Saturdays but he trains twice a week and plays Sunday football too.

He said: "It is the enthusiasm I have for playing football. It is in my blood. There has not been one season when I have turned round and said, 'No, I won't give it a go this year'.

"I live for football and the youngsters keep me going as well."

Rogers started off playing junior football for Crowborough Athletic, who were not a County League side in those days, before switching to Eastbourne United in the latter part of the 1968-69 season.

He said: "In the late Sixties Eastbourne United used to have full time managers and Bill Lansdown was the last one.

"My brother Paul had already gone there from Crowborough. They were looking for a keeper towards the end of the season and Bill asked if anyone knew a goalkeeper. Of course, Paul mentioned me."

Rogers went on to appear in two Sussex Senior Cup finals for Eastbourne United, beating Horsham in 1969-70 before losing to Horsham three years later.

He later played in a third Senior Cup final for Oakwood when they lost 3-1 to Wick in 1993 and those three games remain the highlights of his career.

Over the years Rogers has also played for Croydon, Carshalton, Bromley, Welling, Oakwood (four spells), Lingfield (three spells), Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge.

It was at Tonbridge that he played alongside a young Malcolm MacDonald, while he was in the same Welling team as Townsend before the Republic of Ireland international progressed to League football.

While they have both retired, their older team-mate has carried on playing, much to the disappointment of long-suffering wife Shirley.

Rogers said: "I have been married to Shirley for 29 years. She thought I would have packed up quite a long time ago but she knows I enjoy my football.

"She has tried to get me to pack in my Sunday football but I won't. I also have a daughter, Lisa, 19, and she thinks I'm mad."

After impressing for Tunbridge Wells in the Kent League last season, Rogers was persuaded to rejoin Lingfield in the summer and he is keeping his place on merit.

He said: "The main reason for still playing is that I am playing well. It is not as though I am going out and having dodgy games. I feel I am playing just as well as I have ever done.

"I won't be giving it up. It will probably give me up. There is no way I feel like jacking it in. I will be around for a little while yet."