HE MAY be facing major heart surgery but 13-year-old David Spinks is not going to let anything get in the way of his love for sport. The plucky schoolboy, whose ambition is to become a professional footballer, has come to the territory with the youngest-ever visiting cricket team. David is part of a squad of 14 boys selected by the Essex County Schools Cricket Association in Britain. The team have been taking part in a busy schedule of visitors' matches over a two-week period including one against a Chinese side. Playing possibly his last match before major heart surgery performed by Professor Magdi Yacoub at the world-renowned Harefield Hospital in London, David said: ''Yes, I am a bit of a sports fanatic, my favourite sport is football. ''I want to be a professional footballer for Norwich City when I'm older. My dad and I support them. We go to a lot of games together. If I can't be a professional footballer I'll do nothing. It's football or nothing. But I'm OK at cricket as well. ''My bad heart doesn't stop me playing sport but it does tire me out. The doctors don't mind me playing. I'm not worried about going back into hospital. People say I'm brave because I'm having this operation but I don't really think about that.'' David had his first heart operation when he was six weeks old. He was born with a congenital problem which saw his oxygenated blood going back into his lungs. This was followed by open heart surgery at 12 months of age. Since then he has been in and out of hospital and is due to have another operation this summer. ''They tried to do an operation last year and it was unsuccessful so that is why he has to have open heart surgery this summer,'' said his uncle, Dr John Spinks, who lives in Hongkong. ''He has always been an extremely fanatical sportsman, he turns his hand to any sport he can do at school. He does get out of breath and occasionally a bit blue when he runs around so he plays sport in fits and bursts, then has a rest.'' David is in good company. Gareth Jenkins, one of his team members, hit six centuries for the side in 1992, a feat not even accomplished by a young Graham Gooch when he played for the same side 25 years ago. Accompanying the team is snooker and boxing entrepreneur Barry Hearn, whose son Eddy is also taking part. ''I think it's brilliant these lads are coming to Hongkong. This is the youngest ever touring side to leave England and after the state of English cricket on the last tour, I think we need to see some new blood. You just can't encourage them too early, that's what I say,'' said Hearn.
