I was Wolves star before my football career was ended by leukaemia - now I'm a BJJ champ

The 36-year-old shot-stopper made 207 appearances for his hometown club and got 10 caps for Nigeria before a leukaemia diagnosis led to him retiring from football in 2017.

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After beating the disease, Ikeme's life found new meaning when he stumbled across a local BJJ gym and decided to check out the increasingly popular grappling sport.

He told Express & Star: "I was just filling up my car at a petrol station near home and saw a sign for Gracie Barra, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu academy in Sutton Coldfield.

"I had always wanted to try that discipline, so I signed up for a taster session.

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"I was in really good shape at the time, it was around when I had done the 100-mile Velo cycle ride for charity.

"But I went along to the class, and I remember being absolutely gassed after a three-minute round. My legs were cramping, my back was in bits, and I suddenly realised that you don't really know anything about fighting until you actually do it!"

Ikeme quickly became hooked on BJJ and was soon entering competitions.

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He is now a Blue belt, like Hollywood superstar Tom Hardy, and managed to win several local events before becoming a champion at the British Open.

The one-time Premier League player, who also had loan spells at the likes of Charlton, Sheffield United, QPR and Leicester, went to Rome for the European Championships last year and came home with a bronze medal which is seriously impressive for someone so new to BJJ.

Ikeme added: "To go and actually compete against someone else was quite daunting as it was a physical altercation in a sense, even though there is no striking in Jiu-Jitsu.

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"It gave me back that feeling of being nervous again, and of me wondering if I would be able to handle it all - and the competitive element just carried on from there."

"The Europeans was good fun, and everyone there was very good and took it all very seriously," he continues.

"Competing is a great challenge, but for me it's not necessarily about the tournaments and the results.

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"It is also about the growth that comes with it as a person - that's where the importance is. The growth I am getting from it is the reason for doing it in the first place - it's been so rewarding and so humbling and I can't see myself not doing it now.

"Although I'm certainly making the very most of it because it's already getting harder, and at the same time I'm not getting any younger!"

Despite the fact his football career came to an end prematurely, Ikeme appears to be content and enjoying life with his wife Saba, daughters Mila and Maya and eight-month-old son, Ezra.

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BJJ is keeping him busy and if we've learnt anything from Hardy's foray into the sport, it's that the martial art is addictive - so don't be surprised to see Ikeme entering more competitions in 2023.