SPRINT ace Darren Campbell, once a schoolboy rival of Ryan Giggs, has swapped his spikes for football boots to liven up training sessions for a Welsh non-league side.

Manchester United fan Campbell has returned to his first love by training with League of Wales outfit Port Talbot Town.

But the Olympic silver medallist hasn't turned his back on athletics. And injury permitting, the former Sale Harrier will come under starters orders at next year's Commonwealth Games in his home city.

''Darren is a friend of our manager Mark Jones,'' said Port Talbot chairman Andrew Edwards.

''He has been coming down to training for a couple of weeks and seems to get on well with the rest of the players.

''But he hasn't turned out for any of our teams yet. However, from our point of view he's generated a bit of interest in the club.

''And any publicity is good publicity as far as we're concerned.''

It's not the first time Cardiff-based Campbell has pulled on a soccer strip. He faced Giggs in junior football but later, becoming disillusioned with athletics, had a spell as a striker at Plymouth Argyle under former Bury and Oldham chief Neil Warnock.

Campbell has also had spells at Weymouth and Cwmbran Town before giving athletics a second chance.

A hamstring injury wrecked his bid for a medal at this season's world championships in Canada, but he's now looking forward to going for gold in Manchester.

Tweet