Former Bristol Rovers striker and coach Marcus Stewart has been diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND).
The 49-year-old has been undergoing testing for 12 months, leading to his diagnosis, and he says he intends to use his platform to raise awareness about the disease, but he has requested privacy in the short term.
MND is a rare condition that affects the brain and nerves, causing weakness that gets worse over time. There is no cure for the disease, which reduces life expectancy, though there are treatments that can reduce its impact.
"I would like to take the opportunity to thank those closest to me for their unwavering support since my recent diagnosis," Stewart said. “As I take the time to adjust, my intention is to continue to enjoy my work in football and spend time with my family.
“In the future, I would like to use my platform within football to help raise awareness around MND, but in the short-term, I would like to ask for privacy on behalf of myself and my family.”
The 49-year-old's fine playing career began with the Gas in the early 1990s, scoring 57 goals in 171 appearances before making the move to Huddersfield Town. A stellar stint with Ipswich Town followed, scoring 19 goals in the 2000/01 Premier League to lead the Tractor Boys to fifth and into the UEFA Cup.
He had spells with Sunderland, Bristol City, Yeovil Town and Exeter City later in his career before moving into coaching full-time with the Grecians.
In 2012, he joined Rovers as a development coach before being promoted to assistant manager, and was an integral part of Darrell Clarke's staff until they both left the club in 2018. They later worked together at Walsall.
In June, Stewart returned to Yeovil as head of player development, reuniting with Glovers manager Chris Hargreaves, who he worked with at Rovers.
Marcus and his wife Louise want to raise money for the Darby Rimmer MND Foundation and have set up a JustGiving page, donations can be made HERE. Yeovil and the Professional Footballers' Association have committed to supporting Stewart and his family "in whatever way they can".
In a statement on the fundraising page, Louise writes: "It seems like yesterday I was setting up a just giving page for Marcus and I to run the London Marathon. Now it’s for a cause even closer to our hearts.
"After Marcus’s diagnosis our family and friends were all in agreement on one thing, making this a positive situation. We’ve received some invaluable support and advice from Stephen Darby, co-founder of the Darby Rimmer charity, so there was no other charity we would all like to support more. Raising awareness, support and inevitably helping find a cure for this disease is key.
"We have several fundraising events already set up. Marcus’s sons are running the Manchester Marathon. Myself, family and friends are taking part in one of the ultra challenges, the London winter marathon walk and we have more in the pipeline."
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