Former England player Neil 'Razor' Ruddock is set to star in a new TV show, which sees faces from football past trim up and get back on the pitch.

Th ex-Liverpool and Spurs defender, who now lives in Ashford, will join a roll call of well-known players in Harry's Heroes: The Full English, including John Barnes, David Seaman, Robbie Fowler, Paul Merson, Matt Le Tissier, Chris Waddle, Ray Parlour, Lee Sharpe and Mark Wright.

The show, set to air on ITV tonight and tomorrow, will focus on the importance of staying in shape in middle age. It will see the 90s sport stars - many used to a diet of pints and takeaways - take on the regime of today's super fit and health conscious players.

Led by former football boss Harry Redknapp, the men will attempt to get themselves back in shape and back into the Three Lions shirts they wore with pride in their heyday.

The two-part series will then see the team-mates take on old rivals Germany, in one last grudge match.

Speaking on the Jonathan Ross show, Mr Redknapp said: "You look at the group there [who are involved in the show] and they were real top players but once you stop playing, it’s difficult.

"They’ve probably spent their old lives training and being careful with what they eat and so they probably let themselves go when they finished playing.

"Some of them got back in great shape, not all of them… some of them."

Trailers released ahead of the series show Razor and the others working out, being weighed and mucking about in the changing rooms.

During one training session Razor rips his short, which sees the group fall into fits of laughter.

The keep-fit regime has clearly inspired the ex-West Ham player to slim down, as Harry Redknapp revealed Razor, who lives in Kingsnorth with his family, has lost more than five stone.

Speaking about Ruddock, he said: "I have to defend Razor, because Razor had to lose a lot of weight before the show even started.

"Razor had to lose about five stone before the show started. During the show he lost two kilos which may not have been great, but considering he’d lost all of that weight before.”

But it's not all plain sailing for Razor, as he is seen struggling during the first episode while on a family cruise.

Filming for Harry's Heroes started as early as last year when Ray Parlour and David Seaman visited Papa Joe’s cafe in Tenterden - which serves a 7,500-calorie breakfast - to talk about getting into shape.

Speaking of the visit, Papa Joe’s owner Sharon Naden, said: “It was great having the TV crew here.

"Everyone was very friendly and I heard that Ray and David went off to the Mumbai Gate in Bethersden to get a takeaway for their team-mate Neil Ruddock.”

Harry’s Heroes: The Full English is on ITV on Monday and Tuesday, March 18 and 19, at 9pm.

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