Goldfish learns to play football

The fish - called Span - can nudge a submerged ball along the bottom of his tank into a Subbuteo goal.

Owner Peter Bettison, 80, has used an intensive training course to teach the talented fish how to score every time.

He can also play netball, swim through rings and limbo under tiny bars in his tank - that comes complete with a miniature football pitch.

Peter, of Exeter, Devon, honed Span’s skills after sending off for a specialist fish training manual.

He rewards his young shoal-scorer with a nugget of food every time he hits the net - similar to the ‘positive reinforcement’ method used to teach tricks to dolphins.

Peter now uses the fish’s skills to raise money for Hospiscare.