Former Wolves star Geoff Thomas was rewarded for his campaigning after the Football Association agreed to give his medical research charity a £40,000 cash injection.

The FA has agreed to sponsor the Geoff Thomas Foundation, which was set up after the former England midfielder was diagnosed with leukaemia in 2003.

The 44-year-old said that the money would make “a massive difference” to his group, that has raised £20 million to fund blood cancer drug trials at six centres in the UK, including Birmingham.

Becoming a dedicated sponsor by the FA means the group will get five signed England shirts for auction, exposure in matchday programmes for matches at Wembley and tickets for international matches.

The foundation was set up after Mr Thomas entered remission in 2004 and he has raised money for it by riding the Tour de France route twice, in 2005 and 2007, and taking part in the New York Marathon.

He said today: “I am so grateful and extremely proud. Football has been my life, from playing as a kid in the street in Manchester to playing for England.

“It’s humbling for me to know that the game I love is backing our campaign. By supporting the foundation, the FA and football fans across the country will help to save the lives of blood cancer sufferers.

“I nearly died from blood cancer and I am determined to do all I can to help people who contract this terrible illness.”

The FA only chooses two charity partners each year – the other one for 2009 is the Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK.

Mr Moore, England’s winning World Cup captain in 1966, died of bowel cancer in 1993 and the fund set up in his name raises cash for research into fighting the disease.

Mr Thomas, who lives in Bromsgrove, was given a Local Hero award by the Express & Star for his fundraising efforts last year, which he received from Wolves manager Mick McCarthy during a ceremony at Molineux in December.

He was given a bone marrow transplant from his sister Kay in 2004 which saved his life, and has dedicated the rest of it to raising funds for research to help future sufferers.

People can support him through www.geoffthomasfoundation.com