PONTYPOOL-BORN Lyn Clarke helped his team win the Anna Maria Island Soccer League Cup in Florida at the age of 73.

When he lived in Wales Clarke played rugby for a successful Abersychan Technical team and then went on to win the Newport Junior Cup at Rodney Parade with a select Girling apprentice team.

After moving to Cheshire he played rugby at top level throughout the north of England.

Following a rugby career spanning 25 years he then made another work-related move to Michigan in the north of the USA.

Not being able to find a rugby club there, he turned to football and played for a further 25 years.

He played in the Great Lakes League, The Detroit League and finished playing there in the Michigan United League at 62.

His teams included Dearborn Rovers, Ferndale Internationals and lastly Canton Celtics, all of which won divisional titles during this time.

On becoming the president and founder of the Great Lakes League, Clarke had a trophy named in his honour.

Another move to Bradenton Beach, Florida, saw him retire from work and finally hang up his boots.

But five years later he was persuaded to play at a local par and two years after that the Anna Maria Soccer League was founded.

Clarke began playing competitively again aged 69. During the first two years his team was knocked out on penalties at the quarter-final stages.

But at the third attempt his team the Island Rowdies won their quarter-final 5-2, their semi-final 3-1 and finally triumphed 3-1 in the final.

Playing at left-back, Clarke played in every match just six weeks away from his 74th birthday and he is said to be the oldest living football player in the world, beating the previous Guinness Book of Records candidate by six months. He intends to play on until his new boots wear out.