OLYMPIC hockey star Laura Unsworth officially opened Lye’s new Aldi store.

The Team GB star, who won gold as part of the women’s hockey event at Rio de Janeiro in 2016, 'cut the ribbon' to declare the store in Thorns Road open at 8am on Thursday September 20.

She also presented the first 30 shoppers to arrive on opening morning with a complimentary bag of fruit and vegetables as part of Aldi's Get Set to Eat fresh initiative which aims to promote the benefits of cooking fresh, healthy food.

Afterwards she thanked all those shoppers who turned out early to meet her "for being so warm and welcoming" and added: "I really hope they enjoy their new store and take advantage of some of the fantastic fresh food on offer. "

Following the store opening - the hockey player also visited Rufford Primary School to talk to pupils about her Olympic journey, including how she got to where she is today and the role healthy eating played in her success - and she added: "I loved meeting the pupils too. Hopefully I’ve persuaded some of them to give hockey a try."

Store manager, Marius Snyman, said he was "delighted" to welcome the sporting star to the store and added: “It’s not every day you meet an Olympic hero.

“Hearing about her Olympic success was really inspirational and you could tell she left a lasting impression on our shoppers and pupils.”

The new store, which has seen 36 jobs created, is open Monday to Saturday, 8am to 10pm, and from 10am to 4pm on Sundays.