Football is making its first appearance at the prestigious event and Britain’s elite disability players in the seven-a-side game are set to face fierce competition from the Netherlands, the United States and the Republic of Ireland at the invitational event.

The British side finished bottom of their group at the Beijing 2008 Paralympics although they did produce some encouraging performance including a superb 10–2 win over hosts China.

And with disability seven-a-side football, which is an adaption of the sport for athletes with cerebral palsy, continuing to grow in Britain, Davis believes the British team can take advantage of the opportunity to compete in the biggest annual disability sporting competition in the world.

Davis said: "The BT Paralympic World Cup is a wonderful opportunity for the GB players to test themselves against some of the best players in world and to help gauge our progress since Beijing.

"If the team is to challenge on a world stage, it is of paramount importance that we use competitions such as this to try new players as we strive to develop a podium winning team."

Britain's seven-a-side team captain and Manchester native Jordan Raynes said: "The BT Paralympic World Cup is a massive event to be competing in.

"On a personal level, it’s great that it is in Manchester which is my hometown as being able to compete in front of friends and family will be brilliant."

Raynes also admitted that his side will be using the competition as a vital part of the preparations to build towards the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

The 19-year-old goalkeeper said: "When we went to Beijing, the atmosphere was electric and it’s difficult to simulate playing in that kind of environment.

"The BT Paralympic World Cup will be key in helping us get that experience and we see it as a major stepping stone towards London 2012.

"The best advice I’ve ever gotten was from my dad, who told me that you always need to play the game and not the occasion.

"We need to relax and not let the occasion get to us, because for us, it’s a very important tournament."

BT ambassador and player Richard Fox (pictured) echoed his captain’s sentiments.

He said: "We’ve always said it would be great to be able to increase the amount of media coverage that the sport receives.

"For us, it’s also a hobby because we all work full-time in addition to playing.

"It will be great to be able to compete in an event like the BT Paralympic World Cup to increase the profile of the sport.

"We’ll also be playing against teams that sit around us in the world rankings which I know will inspire us to play well.

"It will be great to get these games under our belt."

Davis, Raynes and Fox were all on hand in February this year to announce football seven-a-side’s induction to the 2010 Paralympic World Cup at an event which was attended by Manchester City goalkeeper Shay Given as well as Burnley players Wade Elliot and Michael Duff.

The sport will no doubt prove a popular addition to the tournament in a city renowned for its football heritage and its great support for disability Football leagues.

The competition will be staged in Manchester from 25-31 May with over 400 competitors from over 31 countries scheduled to compete.

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February 2010: Football added to BT Paralympic World Cup