England ace David Seaman works with legend Bob Wilson to brighten lives of people with life-threatening illnesses

Bob Wilson with David Seaman, Megs Wilson front left and Frankie Seaman. Photo courtesy of the Willow Foundation

Now Seaman is doing it again – only this time off the pitch and in the noble form of giving life-enhancing opportunities to seriously ill young adults.

Bob – now 81 – kept goal for Arsenal from 1963 to 1974, playing some 310 times.

David (59) took on the same role from 1990 to 2003, guarding the net on 405 occasions. The pair have shared a close bond for years.While the debate continues about who was the finest custodian in their time, there is little doubt they are now on the same playing field when it comes to charity.

Former Kimberworth Comprehensive School pupil David and his wife Frankie have been installed as honorary presidents of Willow, an organisation dedicated to creating one-off experiences for people with life-threatening illnesses.

They will be working alongside veteran founders and life presidents Bob and Megs Wilson.They set up the organisation in 1999 as a memorial to daughter Anna, who died of cancer aged 31.

David said: “Bob has been a mentor to me throughout my career, and our friendship has grown stronger over the years. I have always admired his philanthropic endeavours, and through his inspiration, I learned that the values I hold on the football field can also be applied to making a positive impact off the pitch.

“When Bob shared his vision for Willow, I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of.“Frankie and I have been proud ambassadors of Willow for many years, and we have witnessed first-hand the incredible impact this charity has on the lives of young adults facing difficult circumstances.

Visit willowfoundation.enthuse.com/donate to contribute to the cause

“When the opportunity arose to step up and work alongside Bob and Megs, we knew it was a chance we couldn’t pass up.”

Bob, who became a television presenter after retiring from football, spoke warmly about David and Frankie’s appointment.

He said: “Watching David grow both as a footballer and as a person has been incredibly rewarding.

“He has always been so supportive of Willow and is someone who genuinely cares. When thinking about the Willow of the future, David and Frankie seemed like the obvious choice: it felt like a natural progression.

“Their passion and dedication will undoubtedly propel the charity to new heights while providing the safe pair of hands David is famous for.”

Their job is to “Bring hope, joy, and memorable experiences to the lives of those facing serious illness”.

Willow chief executive Jonathan Aves told the Advertiser: “We are delighted to welcome David and Frankie on board and are looking forward to working even more closely with them both.

“David has been a supporter of Willow since the charity was founded and, together with Frankie, has been actively involved as an ambassador.

“They have both played a huge part in helping us to expand to support more seriously ill young adults each year.”

Willow provides bespoke experiences or gifts to more than 1,000 seriously ill young adults aged 16 to 40 each year and receive no government or lottery funding.