A father who took on the role of coach for his son's football team has vowed to stay in the job despite his son being struck down by a rare bone disease.

Lee Holland, 30, offered to become manager of the Oxford Blackbirds under-sevens side when the team's manager quit the job last September.

The team was left with just four players but Mr Holland, a warehouse operative from High Cross Way, Barton, decided to rebuild it knowing how much it would mean to his son.

But weeks later, six-year-old Joshua was diagnosed with Pethes disease, a rare bone condition which has caused part of his hip joint to crumble away. He will go into hospital on Wednesday to have a plaster cast fitted from the waist down in an attempt to keep his bones straight. He could be in a wheelchair for up to five years.

Mum Louise, 26, said: "We had put his aches and pains down to football injuries as he was always doing lots of sliding tackles, so we were quite shocked when he was diagnosed with this.

"There is every chance he will make a full recovery and enjoy the life of a normal boy, but there is also a chance that the disease could spread.

"It has been very hard for all of us," said Mrs Holland. The couple also have a nine-year-old daughter, Jade.

"Sometimes Lee and I will go along to training and matches and have to leave Joshua with his grandparents because he's so keen to play he'll try to get out of his wheelchair and kick a ball. He doesn't realise doing that will make him worse. It is upsetting. We've dedicated so much of our time and energy to the team and now our son can't be in it.

"Lee took the team on at such short notice for Joshua, so he was really upset when this happened. Now he's kept it on in the hope Joshua can return to the team one day."

Mr Holland said: "It's been difficult but I'm doing it more for him now so that when he gets better he can join the team again. The team has been doing well and I've found I really enjoy the coaching. "It could be another three years before Joshua can play again, but I'm hopeful he'll make a full recovery. It's been a disaster to lose him as he's one of the best players on the team."

To keep his interest in the game, Joshua has become assistant manager, helping his dad with the team, which plays friendly matches every Saturday and trains on a Wednesday at the Blackbird Leys leisure centre.

The squad has gone from strength to strength and now has 16 players. They will join the Oxford Mail Boys' League in September, in its under-eights division.