Football-mad teen was left paralysed after suffering shock stroke during a game

A 13-year-old boy who suffered a stroke after falling ill during a football match is back on the pitch after a groundswell of support from clubs including Manchester United and Rochdale.

Football-mad teen Austin Dale was playing in goal for his side in May this year when he was taken off at half-time.

He collapsed later at home and after being rushed to hospital, it was discovered he'd suffered a stroke due to a narrow blood vessel in his brain. Now though - just five months on - Austin is back between the sticks and played his first competitive game at the weekend.

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Austin was originally paralysed on his right side and left with speech difficulties but things began to improve after a few days in hospital.

He was discharged after two weeks and his mum, Marie Dale, 47, says he has now regained full mobility and apart from slight memory loss, is now fully-recovered.

Austin plays in goal for the under-14s at Thetford Bulldogs Football Club in Norfolk. Marie, from Thetford, Norfolk, said: "For him it wasn't a big deal, but for us as parents it was pretty emotional.

"We were worrying at the start, but once we saw him playing, the nerves disappeared. It was amazing to see him between the posts again."

Marie says when Austin became ill, she originally thought it was a concussion.

She drove him home, but his condition got worse and worse until eventually she was forced to take him to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge. Tests revealed Austin had suffered a stroke, and Marie and Austin's father Paul Dale, 48, were told to expect the worst.

Marie said: "It's so out of the blue for a 13-year-old who's so fit and active to suffer a