There is no bigger fighter than young Fred Midgley who had battled courageously back after a kidney transplant to take up his favourite sports of football and cricket again.

Local sports fans will be wishing young Fred all the best after tragedy struck on Saturday when his football season came to an abrupt end.

He broke his leg playing for Embsay Reserves against Wilsden in a cup game.

The 17 year-old Embsay youngster was making his mark in the soccer world when he was diagnosed with chronic kidney failure, which resulted in a kidney transplant in November 2008.

Fred had had a season with Bradford City, trials for Burnley and Blackburn Rovers and had represented Craven FA Minors for three consecutive years, scoring a number of important goals.

Undaunted and after months of convalescing he returned to the game.

He was just getting back to full fitness and knocking in goals for both Embsay Reserves and Grassington under-18s.

With just five minutes to go in Saturday’s game Fred went for a 50-50 ball and an innocuous tackle left him in agony on the ground.

After two days in Airedale Hospital he has now returned home with his left leg in a full pot for at least two months.

His father Andrew, a surveyor, said: “It is hoped the pot will be off by the start of the cricket season when Fred will hopefully be playing for Embsay Cricket Club again.

“This will hopefully bring him slowly back to fitness for the start of the football season next September.”

Ian Longden, Coach and Manger for Craven FA’s Minors gave a toast to Fred after their game on Sunday.

Ian wished him all the best after putting his heart and soul into the local game and fighting back from adversity to play again only to be cut down with more bad luck.

Fred with his indomitable spirit still has high hopes of one day playing professional football.

His inspiration is led by Bolton Wanderers striker Klasnic, who has had two kidney transplants yet plays regularly in the Premier League.

When Fred was 11 he received the crushing news that he had an incurable kidney condition.

The football-mad youngster - who went to a specialist sports school in Clitheroe connected with Manchester United - was doing well until October 2007 and then, to quote his mum Caroline, a lawyer for the Crown Prosecution Service, he went downhill fast.

Mother-of-four Caroline said that Fred was a typical healthy boy until he turned 11. Then he began to lose weight and felt tired all the time.

He had to suffer ten hours of dialysis every day. Then, in December 2008, a kidney match was found and he had a transplant.

The four-hour operation was a success and Fred started his recuperation. He recovered to the extent that he took part in the British Transplant Games in Coventry where he won a gold medal at badminton, silver medals in the 100 metres and tennis and a bronze medal in table tennis.