GEORGE Dowell is an incredibly brave young man.

Ever since he was at a young age he was a keen footballer with dreams of playing for a living.

Aged just 17 life changed forever for the Manchester United fan and Worthing Football Club player. His hopes for his future career seemed to crumble after a harrowing accident.

On the way home from a night out with friends in April 2010, the car he was a passenger in crashed near Angmering on the A27. Everyone walked away unscathed, except George whose spine was broken. He was left paralysed from the chest down and was confined to a wheelchair after spending ten months recovering in hospital.

Although he was forced to retire as a player, George refused to be torn away from his beloved beautiful game for too long.

Determined to take charge of his future, he moved to a large farmhouse on the outskirts of Worthing, not far from his parents David and Lynda. In 2014 he set up the club Worthing Borough and was looking for land to build a 3G pitch.

But hearing Worthing FC - the club he sat on the first team's bench for the night before his accident - was in financial trouble, the opportunity to help was a "no brainer" for him.

The former defender was 16 in 2008 when he joined the youth team, before earning a couple of appearances on the bench.

But last year, aged just 22, he saved it with a five-figure investment less than a week before it faced going bust. His gesture saw it walk away from £200,000 in debts and made him a new majority shareholder.

A new pitch was built at the Woodside Road ground ready for the 2015-16 season as part of the investment. It is now open for public hire when it is not used for training.

He had found a new focus in his life which marked the next milestone along the ladder of recovery as he began to come to terms with what happened.

But he still faced one hurdle - he had never been on a first date or attempted a matchmaking website and was becoming nervous of how he could meet women.

His previous girlfriend had been a childhood sweetheart from school but he discovered an online flier advertising the chance to take part in relationship documentary The Undateables. Thinking he had nothing to lose, he got in touch and was pleasantly surprised to be picked for the Channel 4 show which helps people with disabilities and learning difficulties to find love.

"Everyone else around me had girlfriends or was settling down. It is difficult thinking where I would meet girls and I wasn't really sure what I would say. "I am quite easy going and would like to go on any sort of date. I just wanted to meet someone who was easy going, had a sense of humour and I could share my life with. I realised I had to put myself out there to find love."

The production company filmed in October and the episode aired this month.

George, now 23, met 18-year-old Natalie in Verano Lounge, Western Road, Brighton, before trying their luck at the greyhound races in Hove.

He went from feeling vulnerable to finding someone who could understand his situation and enjoyed his company - which he told The Argus was a real boost to his confidence.

"It was a really good experience and she is a lovely girl."

Since the show he continues to focus on the club's progress and has his heart set on getting them to go up into the premier division of the Isthmian League.

Although he acknowledges it is unusual for someone so young to own a club, he is not at all daunted by the role. He has little time to spare for other hobbies but still makes time for going out with his friends.

"I'm really pleased with how the club has done this year," he said.

"I am not going to know everything but I can learn from other people's mistakes. I will know everything I need to know by the age of 30. I am the same age of most of the players, so I think that works well. I can relate to them. They always know if they ever have any worries they can come and talk to me. I'm really enjoying it."

His tenure as club owner began just months before football mourned the loss of Shoreham Airshow tragedy victims Matthew Grimstone and Jacob Schilt, who played for neighbouring club Worthing United. While George did not know them personally, he said Worthing was hit hard by the disaster and it had been tough for all involved, adding: "It was absolutely horrible."

Fellow club director Ian Hart said George was an "inspiration" - a sentiment many have echoed since his appearance on television.

In a previous Argus interview George said there was only ever one place he wanted his compensation money to go.

He said: "The accident was a huge change in my life and my family's life. But I saw in the paper the club was struggling and I really wanted to help."

He sat down with the semi-professional club in December 2014 to agree the take-over bid and the paperwork was finalised in March last year and the club now has a 25-year lease on the ground.

He said: "After my accident I wasn't really confident enough to get straight into football until probably last season. I realised I needed to do something as I was getting fed up not being involved in something.

"With me being a former player, for people looking in they'll be able to see that my priority is the club and not myself. I think that's key."

His appearance on The Undateables was the first time he had spoken candidly in public about his accident.

"I don't find it difficult to talk about the accident now. The show helped because now everyone who has seen it understands my position and I don't need to explain it. I think it also really helped to raise awareness of what it is like."

Although overwhelmed and delighted by the amount of support since the episode aired, George is still modest and surprised when he learns he has attracted a number of admirers, particularly in Sussex.

Responding to the many suitors who are eager to know, he said: "I'm not in a relationship at the moment."

The Undateables returns tonight at 9pm on Channel 4.