Martyn Jackson: from heart transplant to Transplant World Cup winner
September 23, 2026 20:10
WHAT HAPPENED
After playing for Ramsbottom United in October 2024, Jackson felt unwell and was diagnosed with myocarditis. He was placed on the super urgent transplant waiting list and underwent a successful heart transplant at Wythenshawe Hospital in Greater Manchester on 28 November 2024.
Jackson joined the England Transplant FC squad in January 2026 and featured for the national transplant team in Frankfurt. In the final he scored as England defeated Spain 5-1. The Transplant World Cup teams are made up of people who have received donor organs; Jackson’s team-mates and opponents were also transplant recipients.
"Obviously, when you've had a transplant, you don't think you're ever going to play again. That's what I thought anyway," Jackson said. "I'll be forever grateful to my donor and the family for what they've given me. They've given me the gift of life and the opportunity to live my life to the fullest."
KEY CONTEXT
Transplant World Cup matches are adjusted to reflect players' medical histories: games are seven-a-side, played over 20-minute halves, and contact is reduced compared with the 11-a-side game Jackson played before his illness. As a heart transplant recipient he needs to manage his exercise workload carefully; many of his team-mates have had kidney transplants, the most common transplant in the UK.
Jackson’s route back to the game began when his wife, Lucy, found the England Transplant team on social media and encouraged him to get involved. England manager Daley Cross said of her role: "She was just trying to do her best for him and trying to find a way to motivate him." Cross added that the team exists to inspire people in the transplant community and to show that "when you've had organ failure, your life isn't over."
BACKGROUND
Jackson spent his youth career in the Manchester United academy and had spells with Blackburn Rovers, Preston North End and Burnley before moving into non-league football, where he spent 13 years prior to his 2024 illness.
KEY FACTS
- Transplant surgery: 28 November 2024 at Wythenshawe Hospital, Greater Manchester
- Diagnosis: myocarditis following a Ramsbottom United match in October 2024
- Joined England Transplant FC: January 2026
- Final: England 5-1 Spain, Transplant Football World Cup final in Frankfurt, September 2026
- Match format: seven-a-side, 20-minute halves