A former premier league player visited a Muslim community outside Farnham to discuss his charity The Knights Foundation.

Nicky Banger, who played for as a striker for Southampton from 1989 to 1994, visited Tilford and Mubarak Mosque on Wednesday, May 7 on behalf of his charity The Knights Foundation.

The charity provides support, sensory experiences, holidays and equipment to disabled children, seriously ill children and their families.

It was set up by Mr Banger following his experience as a father of a child with a disability, as his daughter Sophia has cerebral palsy.

Following a meeting with the Mayor of Rushmoor Mara Makunura, Mr Banger’s first trip to a mosque was organised with Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.

Mr Banger said: “I had the honour of being invited to visit the local Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Mosque my first time inside a mosque, and an incredibly meaningful experience for me personally.

“I was warmly welcomed by Imam Adeel Shah, and it was a true privilege to be shown around and to spend time in such a peaceful and inspiring place.

“Imam Adeel and I discovered a shared passion for supporting families with additional needs in our community.

“While our cultural backgrounds may differ, our values are aligned—at the heart of it all is family. Alongside Adeel, Mayor Mara, and many others, I’m deeply committed to building inclusive support networks for all families, across all communities, especially those with children or loved ones who have additional needs.”

Imam Adeel Shah said: “It was great to have Nicky come to Mubarak Mosque and hopefully it is the first of many visits and a relationship want to build upon going forward.

“We had the chance to tell him about the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community how we differ culturally but also how we share a lot in common. The Knights Foundation works to support the disabled and Islam encourages us to do the same.”

Mr Banger’s career saw him playing for football clubs including Southampton, Oldham Athletic, Dundee, Oxford United and Woking Town.