A partially sighted sport scholarship student from the University of Sheffield has been selected to play in the futsal European Championships.
Jake Heasman, 20, from Sussex, will be travelling out to Antalya, Turkey, tomorrow to represent England in the futsal European championships this November.
Heasman said: “Words can’t really describe how I felt when I found out I had been selected, it’s just unbelievable. I never really thought I would ever be able to reach this sort of level.”
Heasman has an optic loma, which is a type of brain tumour. It’s not cancerous but the tumour sits on the nerves which connect his eyes and brain.
He said: “I’m not 100 percent sure if I was born with the tumour. I had two seizures when I was two, they did an MRI scan from that and then found that I had a brain tumour. All the memories I have, my sight has been like it is now, I don’t really know any difference.”
The tumour impacts his short distance, and peripheral vision, as well as longer distance.
“In day to day life I struggle to recognise who people are, I go off body language, body shape and the sound of their voice,” he said. “I just try to adapt the best that I can and cross my fingers that I’m doing okay.”
This meant that when Heasman was younger and played mainstream, grassroots football, he often struggled to see the other side of the pitch.
“When I moved from nine a side to eleven I was coming off a bit upset. I would say I don’t really know why I’m doing this anymore because I can’t see the other end of the pitch.”
Heasman started playing futsal through a partially sighted and blind charity in Brighton.
He explained: “The futsal squad was randomly advertised through their facebook, and fortunately my mum found it.”
Heasman got called up to the senior squad and made his international debut in Spain when he was 17, then played his first major world championships when he was 18 in Birmingham.
“It really blew my mind when I got called up to play. Birmingham was amazing because it was in front of my family and friends. I couldn’t really ask for a better starting tournament to be able to show my family and friends what I do, especially being so close to home.”
“My friends and family are really proud. I personally can’t believe it and at points I’m not sure they can either.
“Now they’ve seen me sing the national anthem, wear the England kit, like the Harry Kanes, Jude Bellingham’s do, it just really made it sort of real.
“It was like a lightbulb moment. Just because it’s a para sport doesn’t mean it’s not official England and international.”
Heasman has also featured in Michael Owen’s ‘Football is for Everyone’ documentary: