Former Wolves goalkeeper Carl Ikeme become ambassador to The Good Shepherd charity

The shot-stopper, who retired from the club due to his battle with acute leukaemia, has teamed up with The Good Shepherd in the city after years of supporting them.

It means he will provide his own personal support to the charity and aim to help raise awareness of the support on offer – and encourage and help others to get involved.

The charity, based opposite Molineux, aims to end homelessness in Wolverhampton and has helped the most vulnerable in the city throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

Carl, who is in remission from leukaemia, said: "When I was first asked to become an ambassador for the Good Shepherd I didn’t have to think twice.

"It is an honour to be part of the charity and I am immensely proud. It is the people behind the scenes at the Good Shepherd who do all the work and keep this place running – they are the real stars.

"I’m just honoured to be a part of what they are doing and try and promote the charity and help them get donations and support.

"It is a tight-knit community in Wolverhampton, the people in the city have got a big heart and we have seen plenty of times how they can work together to make a really big impact.

"The Good Shepherd is an important charity in the city at the moment with everything that is going on and I would encourage people to help them out in whatever way that they can.

"At times we are all only a few steps away from being in a really rough position and everyone needs a helping hand. I had help making it in my career, and if it wasn’t for certain people at certain times I wouldn’t have got to where I did.

"That is what is so important about the Good Shepherd, it’s not just about providing food to people but also helping them get back on their feet so they can support themselves.

"With the times we are in at the minute, and a lot more issues coming up now and so much uncertainty, I think this place is going to be needed more than ever."

Mr Ikeme has supported the charity since he first visited to help serve Christmas lunch with other members of the old gold and black. And he has since continued to support them through regular visits and donations of food.

And he spent several hours at the Molineux Sleepout organised by the Wolves Foundation and the Good Shepherd last November – with his initial visit in 2015 being an "eye-opening" experience.

"A few of us from Wolves came down and helped with the food service at Christmas time and seeing how many people were in need was something that really touched me," he said.

"I knew there was a problem with people not getting enough food but until I actually came and saw it for myself, I didn’t understand how big the problem was.

"It wasn’t just homeless people either, there were people from all walks of life and families with young kids, all who really needed food and that was something which was a real eye-opener for me.

"It made me feel how lucky I was but what a big problem this is and how the Good Shepherd work so hard to try and help.

"Since then I have tried to do what I can, dropping things off when I can and promoting the charity as much as possible."

Tom Hayden, head of operations at the Good Shepherd, said he was delighted that Carl has agreed to become the charity’s first ambassador.

He said: "It was clear from our first conversations with Carl last year how passionate he is about the work of the Good Shepherd, and how he had seen during his time at Wolves the positive impact the charity has on the homeless and vulnerable in Wolverhampton.

"He has been providing donations of food to the Good Shepherd for many years, and is always asking if there is any additional support he can give, and I think he is the perfect choice to be our first ambassador.

"We have a small and dedicated team of staff and volunteers who work so hard to help those who have need to access our services, and Carl’s support in helping us raise awareness of what we do will be vital during such challenging times.

"His own story in football and in life is an inspiration, and we are delighted that he has agreed to link up with the Good Shepherd and support us moving forward."