DAVID JAMES is swapping his football boots for his dancing shoes as he joins this year's line-up of Strictly Come Dancing.
He's joining the likes of comedian Chris Ramsey on the show in a bid to win the famous Glitterball trophy. Here's the lowdown.
What has David James said about Strictly Come Dancing?
The ex-goalkeeper has revealed he was enticed to the show by former swimmer Mark Foster – but is already feeling the burn from dancing.
He said: "I’ve had to keep it a secret for so long. I told my mum and she put it up.
"I've been asked to do it a number of times and I had a chat with Fos and he said it’s an amazing experience a great show.
"I did have a practice go… I was knackered, it was just doing the simple moves. I might start doing some dance art (now that I’m joining the show), as opposed to the art of dancing."
How much is David James getting paid on Strictly?
David James will be expected to draw in a decent figure for his participation on the show.
Every celebrity is handed a standard £25,000 for their efforts, with some pocketing a quarter of a million last year.
Dancers will also net a decent sum if they get far in the competition, with the figure rising to £75,000 for semi-finalists while the winner could take home £100,000.
What pro is David James partnered with on Strictly 2019?
While the partnerships have yet to be unveiled, but we can expect 6ft 4in James will be dancing with a relatively tall pro.
Nadiya Bychkova will be on the list of possibilities as the 5ft 8in looks to improve on her 14th place with Lee Ryan last year.
It will be revealed on August 30, 2019 who David will be paired with.
Who did James play football for?
David started his goalkeeping career at Watford, before moving to Liverpool at the age of 22.
He spent seven years at Anfield, yet only lifted the League Cup in the trophy department.
After over 200 Premier League appearances for the Reds, James embarked on a journeyman career around England and eventually going global.
Spells at West Ham and Manchester City – the latter where he famously played as a striker in 2005 – proved unfruitful, before picking up the FA Cup at Portsmouth.
Bristol City and Bournemouth were also added to his CV before heading to IBV Vestmannaeyja in Iceland and India's Kerala Blasters.
James was also one of the England's best goalkeepers at his peak, featuring 53 times for the Three Lions, but only made his World Cup debut in 2010, becoming the oldest ever to do so – at the age of 39 years and 321 days.
James eventually retired in 2014 after 26 years as a professional in December last year.
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