FM26 gamer helps football team win in real life

Pardoe Kendrick (right) took the reins at non-league side Kings Park Rangers on Wednesday [Pardoe Kendrick] A gamer who took non-league side Kings Park Rangers (KPR) to Premier League glory online helped them win a game in real life. Pardoe Kendrick, 23, took the Great Cornard-based team from the Eastern Counties League Division One North to the top flight on the video game Football Manager 26. Following his online success, Kendrick joined in with a team talk on Wednesday night and suggested a formation change based on his in-game success.

KPR went on to beat fellow Suffolk side Framlingham Town 3-2, to go joint top of the table. Kendrick made the journey from his home in Hereford for the match and said the coaching staff at the club included him in tactical conversations during the game. He suggested a formation change to 4-4-2, which his online team uses -inspired, he says, by football manager Sean Dyche - and said it was a "really enjoyable experience".

Posting on social media, KPR said: "500-mile journey and taking the W [win] back home with you. What a man. Thank you.

" Kendrick had a good view of the game from the bench [Contributed] His simulated career on FM26 was inspired by a friend challenging him to make KPR a better side than the Championship outfit Queens Park Rangers. "It started off as a bit of a joke to be honest... I didn't even know they existed," Kendrick said.