'I close my eyes and hit hard' - title-winner Fuchs on village cricket

Eyes shut tight. Big swing. Six.

Former Premier League footballer Christian Fuchs is bluntly honest about his approach to cricket - a sport he has only just taken up and is still getting used to.

The retired Austria international made an eye-catching debut in whites when he turned out for his local village team last month - snagging two wickets, contributing to a run-out and belting a six into the River Derwent that snakes by his local ground.

"I closed my eyes and I just hit it hard," Fuchs told BBC East Midlands Today about his memorable maximum.

It was that big first impression he made when taking the field for Derbyshire side Grindleford - which quickly went viral online after being filmed by awestruck opposition from Riverside Notts - that convinced Broadbottom to put a cheeky £10 bounty on his wicket when he lined up against them on Sunday.

Fuchs laughed when told of the price on his head, quickly adding he would "have to try hard".

He launched a six onto the hillside by the ground from his third ball faced, but was clean bowled by the next delivery.

Fuchs, best known for helping Leicester City to their 5,000-1 Premier League title win of 2016, explained it was "by accident" he has found himself playing for Grindleford.

It was his son Anthony, who was already playing at junior level for the club, that suggested the 40-year-old try out - but it was his wife who actually made the most unique of summer sporting signings happen.

"I actually didn't know what to do with cricket, never played it before, barely watched it," Fuchs said.

"My son forced me into it - he convinced me at some point and my wife signed me up for it. The rest is history."

Whatever reluctance there may have been about coming out of sporting retirement to throw himself into an almost completely alien pastime has been replaced by an appreciation of the long sunny days he has spent with both his new team-mates and his family.

Between batting and fielding duties against Broadbottom, he practised his newly acquired cricketing skills on the edge of the ground with his son.

And when he was not out in the middle, Fuchs even made his way up to the clubhouse with a mug and hot drink in hand to update the scoreboard.

Team-mate and opening bat Nigel Barnes, who top scored and retired after scoring 50 in Sunday's win,, external said the former footballer has fitted in well.

"He is obviously a bit of a celebrity and we don't have celebrities down here often," Barnes said.

"You can tell he is a sportsman, he has obviously got the hand to eye co-ordination.

"With his batting he did very well. I gave him some advice, which he followed to the letter, but unfortunately it was the wrong advice and he got out."