Gloucester rugby player Ed Slater has sent an emotional message to fans just a day after it was confirmed he was retiring form the sport.
The England Saxons forward, who made almost 100 appearances for the Cherry and Whites after joining from Leicester in 2017, has been diagnosed with motor neurone disease. The club announced the news in a statement on Thursday, concluding with: "Neither the Club nor the Slater family will be making any further comment at this time and kindly request that those wishes be respected."
However, on Friday Slater, 33, made a heartfelt post on Twitter. Thanking everyone for their support, he pledged to "fight with everything" despite also making a harrowing admission.