THERE was one excited debutant at the Ian Walsh Golf Day at St Davids this morning – an event organised to help the local RNLI reach the £150,000 they need to build a new boathouse.

Former Welsh international striker John Hartson, who struck 181 senior goals for club and country before moving into coaching and then punditry, teed off at 12pm for his first ever round at St Davids City Golf Club.

“I’ve never played here before so I’m really looking forward to it,” Hartson told Telegraph Sport, prior to setting off.

“This is a beautiful part of the world and I’m big friends with Walshy, so I had no hesitation in accepting his invitation.”

The 40-year-old added he had a lot of admiration for the work of both Walsh and former Wales and British Lions rugby winger Gerald Davies, who together are fronting the RNLI campaign to raise the necessary funds.

“It’s nice to be asked to come along and help support the appeal – and I think it’s wonderful what both Ian and Gerald are doing” he said.

“They are legendary figures that the public can look up to as both have done so well in their chosen sports.

“It’s vitally important to have people like them involved in charity appeals and putting something back into their local community.”

Of course, Hartson himself is no stranger to charity work.

After being diagnosed with cancer in 2009, a condition he subsequently overcame, the former Celtic man set up his own foundation in 2010 to help raise awareness and funds for those battling the disease.

Recently, that very foundation passed the £300,000 mark for charitable donations, a fact Hartson admits he is proud of.

“I understand how difficult it is to raise funds for causes – but also how vitally important it is as well,” he said.

“Obviously I went through cancer myself and six years ago, someone saved my life.

“But it was purely because of my illness that I then set up the John Hartson Foundation - which is why I think it is great to see people voluntarily doing charity work off their own backs.”

Back in his playing days Hartson, who scored 14 goals in 51 games for his country, was an integral part of the Wales side that under Mark Hughes, came agonisingly close to qualifying for Euro 2004 in Portugal.

But in light of his country’s superb win 1-0 win over Belgium in Cardiff last week, a result which put them top of Group B as they seek to qualify for Euro 2016 in France, Hartson expressed his delight at arguably the best days for Welsh football fans since that 2004 campaign.

Hartson, who served as Wales manager Chris Coleman’s assistant during the 2014 World Cup qualifiers, said: “Having worked with Chris and this group of players I am so chuffed for them.

“The turnaround in such a short space of time has been remarkable.

“In one of my first games as assistant to Chris, we were hammered 6-1 away in Serbia, and it’s difficult to describe just how far the group have come since that night.”

And he is also confident that there will be no hiccups as Wales seek to qualify for a first major international tournament since the World Cup in Sweden in 1958.

“These players won’t be overawed and I think we’ll qualify from here.

“It helps now that there will be 24 teams at the Euros, so even second place in the group guarantees we’ll get there, and the boys won’t let it slip.”

And Hartson was also positive about the current status of the club he has supported all his life, Swansea City, following their eighth placed Premier League finish in the 2014/2015 campaign.

“They’ve signed two good players this summer,” he said.

“The expectations will be higher now but Garry Monk is exceptional.

“He is a very wise and intelligent manager and I’m backing them to have another good season.”

For more information on the John Hartson Foundation, visit www.johnhartsonfoundation.co.uk.

For a report on the day itself, and interviews with Ian Walsh and Gerald Davies, click www.westerntelegraph.co.uk/news.