A borough man has been named as Bolton Wanderers in the Community's (BWitC) "community captain" for the Premier League's "More Than A Game" scheme.

The recognition for Rob Messina comes as an appreciation of his "commitment and contribution" to the charity's work across Bolton.

The Premier League is investing £1.6 billion into wider football and communities between 2022 and 2025 to support football at "every level of the game" across England and Wales.

As part of the "More Than A Game" initiative, the Premier League will be celebrating more than 100 "community captains" for their contribution to their local community via programmes funded by the Premier League.

Mr Messina, who joined the charity in 2015, has been chosen as BWitC’s community captain as he has been actively involved in the Premier League Primary Stars programme, which started in 2017.

Jen Ashcroft, clerical assistant at Washacre Primary School, said: "Rob is the most genuine person I have ever met; he is always friendly when visiting school and nothing is too much trouble.

"He goes above and beyond to ensure that every lesson he delivers is 100 per cent.

"He even takes time out of his personal schedule to help with competitions and sports day and even the Christmas parties.

"He is always so caring and takes an interest in how staff are and has built some lovely work relationships within the school.

"Rob's hard work and commitment within school never goes unnoticed, and we would be lost without him.”

The impact of his work is echoed in the feedback from the students he has worked with.

One year five student at Masefield Primary School said: "I love Rob's sessions because they are fun and engaging, and has introduced me to sports that I have never done before."

Another said: "Your lessons are always exciting, and you make learning new skills really easy and enjoyable.

"You’ve taught us how to work as a team, try our best, and never give up. I always look forward to PE because of you, and you’ve helped me feel more confident in sports.

"Thank you for being such an awesome coach and for making PE my favorite part of the week.”

Joe Conway, BWitC Premier League Primary Stars project officer, said: "I cannot think of anyone more deserving of an award, as this kind of work can largely go unnoticed because the quality is continually high.

"It is so important to recognise the hard work that Rob does every day that people don’t see.

"So many people appreciate him and his work, and this means that Premier League Primary Stars run smoothly constantly."

Mr Messina's efforts have been "instrumental" in helping the BWitC Education Team deliver within 10 schools, supporting the delivery of their 52 weekly individual sessions, reaching more than 700 participants last season.

Lisa Simpson, Bolton Wanderers in the Community’s education manager, said: "Rob has been with us for over nine years and has helped us to shape and deliver our Premier League Primary Stars programme during that period.

"His work ethic can’t be beat, and this is reflected in the feedback from fellow colleagues, teachers and students.

"Rob embodies everything that the community champion stands for and therefore I couldn’t think of a better person to be recognised.”

Premier League director of community Nick Perchard, said: "It is so important that we continue to recognise and collectively highlight the positive impact that work within local communities has, championing those at the heart of Premier League-funded initiatives."