Ashton United are appealing for the public’s help after their skipper Luke Burke suffered a season ending injury.
The full-back was forced off in The Robins’ 2-1 home defeat to Stockton back in February, and is seeking financial help to fund vital surgery.
The club say Burke requires an operation which costs £11,000 to help him get back to full fitness as soon as possible.
Without this, the defender will face an even longer time away from the game.
Following the injury, Burke’s team-mate, and current Robins player-assistant manager Sean Newton set up a gofundme page on his behalf.
Newton wrote: “I’m hoping that non-league fans and supporters of the clubs Luke has played for might consider donating.
“Without the operation, Luke faces a long time out of the game, and during this period he’ll also be without income from football while being unable to do something he truly loves.
“Any donation, big or small, would mean the world and would help relieve some of the stress by going towards the cost of the operation.
“Thank you so much for any support you can give. It’s massively appreciated.”
Despite only being active for a matter of days, the page has raised over £5,000.
Burke recently released a statement, thanking those who have donated, which read:
“I am gutted that my season has come to an end and that I’m going to require surgery, but the amount of support and love I’ve been shown by so many people is unbelievable.
“To add to the disappointment of being injured, came the stress of financial worries to pay for the operation.
“Football never ceases to amaze me with the sheer kindness of its communities and people within the sport.
“I want to express a deep thank you to everyone who has made a contribution, whether it be small or large, every bit helps!
“I genuinely can’t thank everyone enough, from everyone connected to Ashton United and elsewhere.”
Donations can be made via the following link:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/raising-money-towards-operation-payment?modal=donations&tab=all

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