A FOOTIE fan has entered the Premier League of weight loss success and is looking forward to a slimmer, healthier New Year after his mum championed his slimming efforts.

Full-time carer Daniel Cushen has so far lost more than 10 stone 8.5lbs with WeightWatchers, in Barry, in his quest to naturally slim down from his original weight of 27 stone 12Ibs to his goal of just under 15 stone

The 28-year-old dad-of-three now weighs in at 17 stone 3.5Ilbs – a target he has achieved in just 18 months since his mum Sonia Cayton, now living in Spain, first “dragged” him to the Beryl Road, class on May, 31 2012.

The former Holton Primary and Barry Comprehensive pupil also gained inspiration after almost getting stuck in a football stadium turnstile and through wanting to play the beautiful game in the park with his children.

Dan, of Woodlands Road, Barry, said: “My mum dragged me along (to the class). I didn’t even want to come. My mum couldn’t convince my sisters to go with her so she asked and asked me and finally I said yes. I've never looked back.

“It’s the best thing I have ever done in my life and I thank her every day for dragging me along.

“She just wanted to lose a bit of weight.

“When I came here and weighed I was 27 stone 12 lbs so losing weight was for obvious reasons - my health and looking after my children and especially wanting to run about with them and play football with them and even going to football myself.

“I support Cardiff City and I used to dread away games for fear of squeezing through the turnstiles.

“I went to Crystal Palace and I almost got stuck once and I thought ‘I’ve got to get rid of this weight.’

Dan, who cares for his 33-year-old disabled wife Louise, kept postponing his effort, believing he knew how to do it, until his mum took control, and led him to the WeightWatchers group meeting.

Dan said: “I was on 71 ProPoints, the highest points, and I thought ‘surely you can’t lose weight eating that much?’ so when I came down the first week and I’d lost 5.5Ilbs I just couldn’t believe it.

“Throughout the diet I don’t think I’ve missed out on anything whatsoever. I have treats and nice things I want and the occasional day off, not too many to be honest, but I still lost all this weight.

“You’re not stuck eating the same food – it’s a nice variety.

“My confidence is a lot higher and I can run around with the kids. Taking the kids to the park used to be a chore and I dreaded going down to the park.

“But now I love it and I’m convincing them to come down and have a kick about. I used to watch football, but now I can teach the kids how to play it and it’s nice.

Dan, who had held a love of chip shops and takeaways and developed gall stones, had his gall bladder removed just before Christmas.

He said his weight loss had enabled him to have the surgery necessary to remove the pain.

He added: “The doctors would have chucked me out of the hospital and said ‘go and lose 10 stone so you can have the operation.’

“The class has been so nice. I don’t think I would have stayed long if they hadn’t all been so nice. I have enjoyed every minute of it and can’t wait to get to goal.”

Dan’s Weightwatchers leader Debbie Spargo said: “Dan has had a fanatic weight loss journey and I am very proud of him as is all of the Beryl road class. He has changed his whole way of thinking about food that had fitted into his busy life. He is a real inspiration in the class and proves that making small changes can add up to a big life change.”

Debbie’s classes run in Barry, at Highlight Park, at 6.30pm on Wednesday, and Beryl Road, at 6pm on Thursday.