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Gary Lineker has today appealed to the FA to find tickets to the Euro 2020 final for a selfless fan who gave up his seat at Wembley so he could donate stem cells.

Sam Astley, 24, passed up the chance of a lifetime after he signed up to the Anthony Nolan stem cell register.

Mr Astley, from Sedgley in Dudley, West Midlands, was told he was a match a few weeks ago, but his girlfriend then won a competition for two tickets to the England v Denmark semi final.

So he gallantly gave up his place to visit a private clinic in London so he could donate stem cells and bone marrow, and said: 'No football game beats saving someone's life.' 

His critical care nurse girlfriend Beth Hill, 25, was also unable to go to the match because she was self-isolating so the pair donated their prize, which included a stay at The Dorchester hotel and £500 spending money, to relatives. 

Now the BBC's Gary Lineker has appealed to the FA to help get them tickets to the final against Italy on Sunday, after he missed the chance to see England beat Denmark in the semi final clash.

Sam Astley, 24, passed up the chance of a lifetime of watching England romp to victory against Denmark in last night's semi-final after he signed up to the Anthony Nolan stem cell register

Mr Astley, from Sedgley in Dudley, West Midlands, was told he was a match a few weeks ago but in a twist of fate, his girlfriend (pictured together) then won a competition for two tickets to yesterday's match at Wembley

Former footballer Lineker retweeted the message and said: 'Amazing. Can you help @FA @England?'

Gary Lineker has joined the plight to appeal to FA for Mr Astley to get tickets to Sunday's final

A Twitter user called Gemma Peters tweeted to Lineker: 'Football fan Sam had tickets to last night's game but passed it up to donate his stem cells after he was told by @AnthonyNolan he was a match. Surely we know someone who can get him a finals ticket to say thanks?' 

Former footballer Lineker then retweeted the message and said: 'Amazing. Can you help @FA @England?'  

Mr Astley told Stourbridge News: 'Life is more important than a football game at the end of the day. No football game beats saving someone's life.'  

Mr Astley, who is a buyer for Yamazaki Mazak manufacturing technology firm in Worcester, said he was a 'bit nervous' about the procedure but said he is pleased he signed up alongside his girlfriend Beth Hill. 

He will be donating stem cells and a litre of bone marrow which will most likely leave him in some discomfort for up to a month. 

Girlfriend of five years Beth, of Cradley Heath, West Midlands, who works as a critical care nurse at Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital, also had to miss out on the prize as she is self-isolating. 

She revealed how Sam started singing 'It's coming home' when he came round from his operation this morning.

She said: 'We really hope we can get tickets for the match on Sunday. I'm literally just completely overwhelmed by the support he is getting.

'I can't believe how this is blowing up everywhere. It's crazy. We hadn't asked for free tickets - we just wanted to have the opportunity to buy some - as they're like gold dust - but it's gone mad.

'My phone hasn't stopped ringing but we're so happy we can raise this awareness for the charity and hopefully we can get some more people signed up to the register.

'Sam went down to the London Clinic, a private hospital, last night where he was admitted. 

'He was put to sleep with a general anaesthetic then they drilled into his pelvic bone either side to extract the stem cells from there.

'It took half an hour and he came round at 9.30am, so he's still a bit groggy now.

Mr Astley said: 'Life is more important than a football game at the end of the day. No football game beats saving someone's life'

'Apparently the first thing he said when he came round, he can't remember but his doctor told me, was he started singing ''It's coming home''. Bless him, he is a massive football fan and supports Man United.

'He's got football on every week and the Euros have been massive for him, he absolutely loves it. He watches all the games and was gutted to miss out on last night.

'He watched it in the hospital last night as we FaceTimed each other. We were buzzing that we won but it was bitter sweet because the atmosphere there looked incredible.'

Beth gave the tickets to her football-mad mad brothers Luke, 33, and Josh, 30, who FaceTimed her and Sam from Wembley.

The clinical nurse added: 'They absolutely love football as well and said it was brilliant to be there and got to stay in the Dorchester last night.'

Beth said Sam turned down the tickets 'straight away' once he realised the clash.

She added: 'He said there was no way he would delay the donation because someone needs those stem cells and it is their life.

'This is just a football match. Someone's life is much more important.

'Sam's an amazing person and everyone who knows him says the same, he has loads of friends.

'It was no surprise to me he turned down the tickets.'

Beth is self-isolating until Saturday when she'll be able to see Sam, who's being discharged from hospital tomorrow morning (Fri). 

Sam signed up to the register an a memorial football match organised in memory of Olly Wilkes, who took his own life aged 22.

Olly's father Simon Wilkes suffers from a blood disorder and has been trying to raise awareness of the condition and help get more people to donate stem cells. 

Simon, from Brierley Hill, West Midlands, said he was overcome with emotion at the gesture by Sam who has never seen England play or been to Wembley Stadium.

He said: 'It's a once in a lifetime thing to win that.

'It's wonderful what he's going to do. He was already sacrificing work time and now he's sacrificing the chance of a lifetime.'

Rebecca Pritchard, director of register development at the Anthony Nolan charity, said: 'Our donors are incredible people at the best of times, bearing in mind they agree to help a complete stranger in this way.

'But these are extraordinary times. Sam has done an extraordinary and incredibly selfless thing by putting the needs of his recipient, above his own pleasure. What a hero'

Sports coach Simon Wilkes, 57, said a campaign had now been launched to try and get Sam and Beth to this weekend's final against Italy.

The married dad-of-two said: 'Sam's sent me photos today of him in hospital now he's donated bone marrow and stem cells.

'He donated half a litre of bone marrow and it's all gone well so they're keeping him in today to recover.

Mr Astley signed up to the register at the Olly Wilkes memorial football tournament set up in memory of the young footballer who committed suicide at the age of 22

'My son passed away four years ago and I was diagnosed with blood cancer myself five years ago.

'I do memorial events in my son's memory as his legacy to get people to sign up on the Antony Nolan stem cell register.

'Sam was the second person to donate out of the 92 people who signed up on the register at the last charity football match.

'You don't know who the recipient is - the first person to match called Matt Beveridge donated to a woman in Spain.

'There is a 1 in 17,000 chance of a match, so it's a remarkable story.

'I just want to raise awareness of what Sam's done because they missed out on one of England's biggest matches, a night at the Dorchester and £500 spending money.

'I want to try to find them something for the weekend and get them to the final against Italy because he absolutely deserves to be there.

'There's a lot of momentum spreading on social media and celebrities and footballers have been sharing the appeal.

'It's incredible what Sam's done, he could save someone's life, and I'm so proud to be part of it.

'I couldn't save my son's life but this is his legacy.'