Soccer Aid 2022: Why are Lee Mack, Mo Gilligan and Chelcee Grimes playing for the World XI?

Comedian Lee Mack
(Image credit: Getty)

Soccer Aid 2022 is almost upon us, with the annual charity match taking place this Sunday 12 June at the London Stadium.

As usual, it's England versus a Soccer Aid World XI - with ex-pro footballers joined by celebrities from the worlds of music, TV and beyond.

Set to feature for the World XI are a number of stars who could have lined up for England - among them singer-songwriter/presenter Chelcee Grimes, and comedians Mo Gilligan and Lee Mack.

Liverpool-born Grimes has appeared in each of the last two editions of Soccer Aid.

The 30-year-old - who played for Liverpool Ladies as a youngster - will represent the Republic of Ireland once again.

Gilligan was also involved in 2020, captaining the World XI to victory on penalties at Old Trafford.

The 34-year-old was born in London to parents of Jamaican and St. Lucian descent.

Mack, meanwhile, has featured in each of the last three editions, missing from the spot in 2018 and 2019 - for England, who lost on both occasions.

Last year, however, the Would I Lie to You? stalwart put his Irish heritage (which he discovered during his appearance on BBC show Who Do You Think You Are?) to use and turned out for the World XI - scoring the third goal in a 3-0 win at the Etihad Stadium.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, he's sticking with them this time around...

Tom Hancock

Tom Hancock started freelancing for FourFourTwo in April 2019 and has also written for the Premier League and Opta Analyst, among others. He supports Wycombe Wanderers and has a soft spot for Wealdstone. A self-confessed statto, he has been known to watch football with a spreadsheet (or several) open...