WILTSHIRE’S England futsal international Luke Ballinger is aiming to bring the thrills and spills of the small-sided game to the local area with the new club he has helped set up.

The 28-year-old, who is closing in on his 100th cap for his country, has entered the Melksham FOF Futsal side, who will be affiliated to the Future of Football Academy, of which Ballinger is co-director, into the FA National Futsal Super League for the 2016-17 season.

Melksham FOF will ply their trade in Midlands Division Two of the country’s national futsal league, playing their home games on Sunday afternoons at Chippenham’s Olympiad Leisure Centre, and Ballinger, from Seend, is hoping to establish a county institution.

“Last season, I played for a club called Salisbury United and I just thought that there’s absolutely nothing for futsal around here,” said Ballinger, who has 98 England caps to his name and will be playing for his new club.

“Another England international, called Ian Parkes, has helped me set it up and I want it to be part of the academy that I run. We’ve got kids from the ages of three to 15 and I want there to be some progression for them.

“I think that we can win our league and we’re going to wear the same blue and white kit that the kids in the academy do, so it’s all a one-club thing.

“I think the kids would love to come and cheer us on and it would be great if we could have 200 or 300 people coming to watch games on a Sunday.”

Melksham FOF are on the lookout for new players aged 16 and over. For more information, email lballinger@futureoffootball.co.uk.