Former footballer Paul Mortimer believes there’s more to walking football than just physical benefits after helping kick-off a new initiative to get more people playing the sport.

The London Football Association and PlayFootball have introduced a serious of weekly walking football sessions across the capital in a bid to enrich the lives of older people and get more people active in London.

Players from Uxbridge Amblers helped launched the scheme with Mortimer giving the side a quick team talk before the five-a-side match.

And the former Charlton Athletic and Crystal Palace midfielder believes the camaraderie gained from the sport will help people physically as well as mentally.

He said: “So far the London FA has 11 sessions a week and we will be providing an extra 10 sessions to make it 21 sessions throughout London.

“The social aspects are hugely important as well as physical and mental. Walking football was invented for those who are more mature in age, who might be retired from work life. They might find their social circle decrease a bit but with walking football, it will introduce them to a new social circle.

“People retire and sometimes feel isolated in their lives and that does affect mental health. So when you come to walking football; health wise, you immediately start to feel better, you can do more. Socially you start to make new friends so there’s a lot of benefits all round.

“London FA’s remit is to get as many people playing football as possible and this is a really novel and positive way to do that because it offers football to everyone.

“It’s also leveller. Some people might be anxious about playing football because they physically feel they aren’t capable but there, because everyone has to walk, it levels it out. You turn up, you pay a fee and play, it’s as simple as that.”

The 49-year-old, who is an ambassador for London FA, hopes by launching the new initiative it can remove a stigma surrounding walking football.

He said: “There is somewhat of a stigma attached and people think it’s not like normal football because you’re running about. Actually I think this is a lot harder and it’s a thinking person’s game.

“You have to be more disciplines because you cannot run. You must have more knowledge of the game and better technique. I would say to a lot of people to come and have a watch because the players sweated more than I did when I was playing."

To enrich the lives of older people living in London through sport, the London Football Association (LFA), in partnership with PlayFootball, is launching walking football sessions across the capital to attract a diverse range of participants who might have given up all dreams of playing football. For more information, go to https://www.londonfa.com/players/recreational-football/walking-football