A ROSSENDALE United footballer gave his team mates the chop on the last day of the season to take part in a butchery contest.

And the sausage man's team mates had to endure a stuffing without him!

Winger Danny Heys, 23, was picked as one of three people from the UK to take part in the competition being held in Switzerland.

But the honour meant he would also miss out on his beloved football when Dale took on Eastwood Town in the last game of the season in the Unibond League Division One.

Dale lost the match 3-2 at home.

Danny, who works for family firm G T Heys in Lydgate Road, Burnley, was a schoolboy trainee for Preston North End, where he also completed two years of a YTS course before being released by the club in 1998.

He moved to Morecambe for a spell before deciding the travel was too much and moving to Rossendale United.

He said: "It's a shame I missed the last game of the season, but going to Switzerland was too good an opportunity to miss and the manager has known I'd be going for quite a while and has been really supportive.

"I had my fingers crossed for the boys and hoped they could get a win, even if I was not there to help them out.

"Eastwood have already been relegated so we should have been able to finish the season on a bit of a high note with a win."

Rossendale manager Jimmy McBride said: "Danny's dad has a butcher's shop in Burnley and this is quite a big competition.

"It's not the type of thing footballers normally miss matches for, but it is his trade."

Dad George said: "He loves his football and was heartbroken when Preston had to let him go, but he has picked himself up and got back in there with Rossendale.

"We will be thinking of him and wish him the best of luck for the competition."

Danny is travelling to Switzerland today after a weekend training in Milton Keynes with friends including Viv Harvey, Fred Mallion, David Grayley and Danny Hargreaves, who are all also in the butchery trade.

He said all four helped him prepare for the competition, which includes various butchery skills including making sausages and trimming and dressing joints.