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Ray Parlour and David Seaman eat at Papa Joe's cafe in Tenterden for ITV series

Football greats Ray Parlour and David Seaman met at a greasy spoon which serves a 7,500-calorie breakfast to talk about getting into shape.

Arsenal midfielder Parlour, 45, dubbed the Romford Pele, and Gunners’ goalkeeping legend Seaman, 54, tucked in at the unlikely venue of Papa Joe’s cafe in Tenterden.

The pair were being filmed for a new ITV series called Match Fit, which sees 11 big names shape up for an England comeback.

Papa Joe's cafe owner Sharon Naden, right, with Ray Parlour, left, Wendy Hopper, David Seaman
Papa Joe's cafe owner Sharon Naden, right, with Ray Parlour, left, Wendy Hopper, David Seaman

A roll call of international legends of the 80s and 90s, the team also includes John Barnes, Robbie Fowler, Mark Wright, Matt Le Tissier, Chris Waddle, Rob Lee, Lee Sharpe, Mark Chamberlain, Paul Merson, and Ashford’s Neil 'Razor' Ruddock.

They will be managed by former West Ham boss Harry Redknapp.

The venue for Parlour and Seaman's meet up is well-known in the town as the home of the 10Terden Terminator - a 7,500-calorie fry-up.

It is packed with 512g of saturated fat, containing 10 sausages, 10 rashers of bacon, 10 eggs, 10 tomatoes, 10 large mushrooms, 10 hash browns, five fried slices, five slices of toast and baked beans.

The pair and their fellow players will ditch their familiar pints and fry-ups to follow the fitness regime and healthy diet of today’s professional footballer in the series that looks at the importance of staying in shape in middle age.

The comeback England squad. Picture: ITV
The comeback England squad. Picture: ITV

Their challenge is to squeeze back into their 90s’ England kits to beat a team of international rivals from the era and will feature in a two-part programme being made by Talkback for ITV. It is due to be aired next year.

Leon Wilson, managing director of Talkback, said: “We’re thrilled to be working with ITV on this unique and epic new series.

"We’re looking forward to seeing if the players can ditch their unhealthy habits, to get match fit, back in their kits and on the pitch, doing what they do best.”

Papa Joe’s owner Sharon Naden said the pair were filmed at her cafe in July but she had to keep it underwraps until the announcement of the series.

The 10Terden Terminator breakfast at Papa Joe's
The 10Terden Terminator breakfast at Papa Joe's

Since the launch of the 10Terden Terminator breakfast four years ago, which challenges diners to devour the mammoth feast in one sitting, no individual has successfully finished the meal, although people have polished off the plate in pairs.

Sharon, 48, said: “It was great having the TV crew here.

"Everyone was very friendly and I heard that Ray and David went off to the Mumbai Gate in Bethersden to get a takeaway for their team-mate Neil Ruddock.”

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