Blackpool footballer Jamie Oakey realising his goals with Everton and England

The sporting career of Blackpool amputee footballer Jamie Oakey is blossoming with Everton and England.
Jamie Oakey has been selected for England Under-23 at the age of 15Jamie Oakey has been selected for England Under-23 at the age of 15
Jamie Oakey has been selected for England Under-23 at the age of 15

The sporting career of Blackpool amputee footballer Jamie Oakey is blossoming with Everton and England.Aged only 15, striker Jamie is the youngest player ever selected to represent Everton in a champions league match and has also been named in the England Amputee FA’s Under-23 squad. The for-mer England Junior captain is now making his mark in the adult game and is confounding those who feared he would never be able to play the sport he loves.Proud mum Elaine told The Gazette: “Jamie was born with a short right leg and no right foot. “After being told he wouldn’t be able to play matches in local teams due to his prosthesis we were saddened. “One day at a Bolton Wanderers match, a man came over to us and asked if we’d heard of amputee football.“Jamie was only eight at the time and he went on to captain the England Junior Amputee squad and the Manchester City Junior Amputee squad.”Having moved on to Everton, Jamie has taken his game to another level, earning selection for the Everton Amputee squad for the champions league competition in Tbilisi, Georgia, in May.Jamie has also been included in the provisional squad for England Under-23s ahead of their European tournament in July. That competition will be preceded by five training weekends at Reaseheath College in Nantwich, the first of those taking place next month. The U23 squad is designed to prepare players for the England senior squad, who will contest the European Amputee Football Federation championships in Krakow, Poland, in 2020. England were runners-up in the European championships last year. The English Amputee FA is a charity which receives no national funding and relies on donations and sponsorships.Players like Jamie who have been named in the England squad are required to raise money to fund their activities. Elaine can be contacted on Facebook and raises money for the EAFA via a Facebook fundraiser which can be accessed via her page.She added: “If anyone can think of any fundraising ideas to get Jamie on his way it would be amazing.“The EAFA is a charity that does amazing work with amputees, who sometimes could give up but this charity has made them believe in themselves.”.