Former Arsenal midfielder David Hillier signs for the Legends squad   You are here: Home » News Detail

Former Arsenal, Portsmouth and Bristol Rovers star David Hillier has become the latest former professional footballer to sign up to the Legends squad for Football for Heroes, a charity football match at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry, on Sunday 4th May.

Hillier joined Arsenal at the age of just 14, winning the FA Youth Cup and impressing at reserve level before breaking into their senior side aged 20.

The midfielder helped the Gunners to the First Division title in the 1990/91 season before injury ruled him out of the Arsenal team who picked up an FA and League Cup double in 1992/93.

He left the club at the start of Arsene Wenger’s reign at Highbury in 1996, appearing for Portsmouth, Bristol Rovers and Barnet prior to his retirement in 2003.

Hillier, who is now a firefighter with Avon Fire and Rescue Service, said: “Lots has gone on in the last few years with the awareness of Help for Heroes and we’ve done lots ourselves in the fire brigade, such as bucket collecting.

“I just thought that with my career being football, it’s a good way to give back to people who have had their careers ended and families who have lost their loved ones or seen them injured.

“I am no way in the same league as people who fight for their country, but I’m in an industry where I serve the public and I do put myself at risk so I can kind of touch on what they go through.

“When us old boys get together the skill level is that bit higher so we can let the ball do the work, but it’s normally the last 15 minutes of the first half and the last 20 minutes of the game when the fitness of the younger players kicks on.

“It’s all good fun and all for a great cause so even if we do get turned over and we are sweating like pigs at the end, it will all be worth it.”