AMERICANS Ariel and Chester Larmond swapped the sweltering Orlando heat for Wombwell’s sub-zero winter weather for one reason - to meet viral grandad Ged Silcock and play walking football with him.

The 84-year-old joined Wombwell Main FC’s walking football team after his wife of 62 years, Phyllis, died.

Physical activity is a cornerstone of his life, with him still going to the gym and having played football since the age of seven.

Despite being relatively new to the club, Ged quickly fitted in, making lots of new friends.

Joining the team helped him to process the grief of losing his wife, thanks to the camaraderie of his teammates.

An interview with Ged subsequently went viral on social media, amassing more than half a million views - even garnering support from the States.

And when Ariel got in touch with the club, media officer James Grayson thought it could have been a wind-up.

He told the Chronicle: “When Ged’s interview went viral it also got a lot of attention in America.

“Ariel saw the video and said she’d love to come down in August and I just said ‘go ahead’.

“I didn’t think much more of it and three weeks ago she said she was planning to come down on January 4.

“They were here for the holidays and were in Manchester - they looked at the map and realised how close Barnsley was.”

James met the father and daughter duo at Wombwell railway station and showed them all the town has to offer.

And they were thrilled to meet Ged - and he was overwhelmed he had fans from around the world.

James added: “Ged walked into the ground and it was probably zero degrees.

“It’s the first new year since he lost his wife and you could tell he was a bit down.

“I told him that some Americans had come over to England to see him and his face just lit up.

“It was a really magical moment.

“They played football with us and Chester was only here to support Ariel but he had a bib on and was brilliant in the net.

“They had some John Smith’s and Ariel had a pork pie with some HP Sauce.

“We took them to Sea Birds in Wombwell and they had a real authentic experience.

“They’d been to London, Manchester, Scotland - and they said Barnsley was their favourite place.

“They were both such incredible people.

“We waved them off at the train station and there were some tears in Ged’s eyes.”

Wombwell Main’s following on social media has sky-rocketed in recent months - and the plan is to grow their fanbase even further.

James said: “It’s absolutely fantastic.

“We had 150 followers on Facebook three years ago and we get thousands now watching our videos.

“We’ve managed to put Wombwell Main on the world stage.”

Ariel is planning to return to Wombwell in the near future - but for now she’ll return to her workplace, Universal Studios, with club-branded mugs, pens and a jumper.

And for Ged, the club has given him a new lease of life.

He said: “I can’t believe that I’m an 84-year-old grandad and everyone wants to meet me.

“The last few months have been incredible.”