An ex-soldier who lost his leg in a minefield in the Middle East is on the road to representing his country again after taking up wheelchair rugby.

Former Army bomb disposal officer Tony Wyles, 42, underwent 19 operations when he was targeted in a bomb attack in Lebanon, which resulted in a below-knee amputation.

Despite his horrific injuries, Tony returned to the country six months later.

He now works as a contractor in Iraq, where he detects and removes underground explosives.

When he returns from overseas, he plays for Gravesend Dynamite, a wheelchair rugby team set up in September 2013 and coached by Jason Owen. Tony took up the sport in September.

His on-court abilities have attracted the attention of the national side, leading to appearances for the England Barbarians.

Tony, a dad-of-three, said: “I wanted to be part of a team again. I played rugby on and off since school but never seriously for a club, and I missed the camaraderie.

“I read about wheelchair rugby online and looked to see if there were any teams about, and found Gravesend Dynamite.

“Jason is an excellent coach, he’s able to find the best from the players.

“I managed to get a trial playing for the Barbarians, and it was the first time I’d had any physical games. It was fantastic.”

The dad-of-three says he is incredibly proud of his recovery after his military career – and almost his life – was cut short.

Tony said: “When I left school I trained to be a chef but I got bored of that quite quickly, so I joined the Territorial Army’s bomb disposal team.

“I decided to try and make a career out of it, and after so many years I found myself in Lebanon.

“On November 25, 2006, at 9.30am, I was blown up. My right foot was amputated and my whole body was pretty smashed up.

“My job was to help people get out of the minefield, and when I went back someone had set a booby trap for me.

“My injuries were life-threatening, but I had a month of very good care in Lebanon. Where we have worked to clear the minefield you now see children playing, so I get a huge amount of job satisfaction.”

Gravesend Dynamite coach Jason Owen said: “Tony has been an asset both on and off the court.

“He loves the sport and is making massive progress.”