Crystal Palace striker Connor Wickham says supporting the troops is something important to him.

Wickham's father is a veteran of the Iraq war.

He told the Mirror: "Dad hasn't spoken too much about what he experienced out there. It's difficult for them to talk about it.

"I do a lot of work for Help for Heroes because I understand what every family's going through when a loved one is at war. My dad had friends who were wounded.

“Mum is proud of my football too – my brother hates it – but I owe them so much. They've put up with me at my worst. They can give me a clip round the ear if my feet come off the ground."

Wickham adds: “So that was the incentive for me making my career, trying to help him out.

"I've bought them a house in Leicestershire. Mum has cats, dogs and horses. It's somewhere they can settle, because they have never been able to do that. We always moved a lot when he was in the army."