LONDON ROOSTERS star Lewis King has been named as England’s captain for their wheelchair Ashes tour of Australia.

King takes over temporarily from 2022 World Cup-winning skipper Tom Halliwell, who will miss the trip this autumn as he awaits shoulder surgery.

The inaugural Wheels of Steel as Super League’s best player in 2023, 40-year-old King scored a try in the previous year’s World Cup final against France, and has 18 caps to his name.

He started playing wheelchair rugby league nine years ago, after being left partially paralysed when he suffered a blood clot in his spinal cord in 2009.

King said: “Wheelchair rugby league has given me so many incredible moments since I discovered the sport, and captaining my country in Australia is going to be the greatest honour.

“It’s six years since our last trip but the memories are still fresh, and now the 10 of us who are lucky enough to have been selected for this tour have the chance to make some more.”

Head coach Tom Coyd, who has also selected Jack Brown of Halifax Panthers as vice-captain, said: “To tell Lewis King that he will captain his country was an immense privilege for me.

“The journey he has been on since suffering a life-changing injury 16 years ago is inspirational.

“Like me, he is from Kent, well outside the traditional rugby league heartlands – it’s quite a moment to appoint an England rugby league captain from Dartford.

“But there is no question in my mind that he richly deserves the honour, and will lead the team with commitment and class – and more importantly, I make the appointment in the knowledge that all our players feel the same way.”

England play a two-match series against Australia on October 30 and November 2 at the Gold Coast Indoor Sport and Leisure Centre.

That will be preceded by games against New South Wales (October 24 in Sydney) and Queensland (October 27 in Sunshine Coast).

The 10-player squad recently announced for the tour includes two uncapped players in Castleford Tigers’ Luis Domingos and Finlay O’Neill from Halifax.