Stuart Pearce, the famed England footballer, emerged from retirement to aid Longford AFC, dubbed England's worst football team, as part of Direct Line's Direct Fix campaign.

With the team at the bottom of the Gloucestershire Northern Senior League Division Two, having lost all 19 games and conceding an average of ten goals per match, Pearce's involvement aimed to boost morale and performance.

The campaign, which gained significant media attention and trended on Twitter - it was the most talked about January transfer - leveraged Pearce's signing to highlight Direct Line's commitment to solving problems.

Despite Pearce's efforts, including a training session at Bisham Abbey (where he trained with England) to improve the team's dismal record, his debut match - watched by over 400 people (a newe record) - ended in a loss.

But here’s the thing… check the footage - the ball from his cross is headed towards goal and it does go beyond the line, but there is no VAR in lower league football.

Nevertheless, the campaign successfully reinforced Direct Line's image as fixers, reaching millions and generating a wave of positive sentiment across social media and press coverage.

This campiagn was just a small part of a long-standing Direct Fix campaign where we tackled issues head on from Christmas Dinners to phone battery charge and even iced cars.