England Veterans secured a record ninth Seniors World Cup in Thailand against their French counterparts with significant contributions from several players who have previously plied their trade in the South West.
The senior Three Lions triumphed 4-0 in the final with former Plymouth Argyle and Truro City striker Barry Hayles netting the opening goal, with ex Exeter City striker Jamie Cureton and one time Pilgrims central midfielder Karl Duguid also finding the target.
Hayles and Duguid were part of a quartet of former Argyle players in the squad which included goalkeeper Luke McCormick and midfielder David Norris. They were joined in the squad by former Torquay United, Exeter City and Yeovil Town central midfielder Alex Russell, who was appearing in his sixth tournament at the age of 53, and came off the bench in the final.
They ended the tournament with a 100% record as they beat host Thailand 2-0 in the opening game before defeating Taiwan 4-1 and ended the group with a 3-0 victory over USA. A thumping 5-2 triumph over Australia in the semi-finals followed which set up their meeting with France in the final.
This year, they were joined in the squad by former Aston Villa, Manchester City, Everton and England midfielder Gareth Barry, who appeared for England in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, and ex Aston Villa winger Lee Hendrie, who was also capped by England.
