'I live week-to-week' - Ex-Preston and Sunderland man bravely opens up on motor neurone disease battle

Ex-Preston North End, Ipswich Town and Sunderland forward Marcus Stewart has opened up on his battle with motor neurone disease.

Stewart, who had a brief loan spell at Deepdale in the 2005/06 season - from Bristol City - was diagnosed with MND in September 2022. The 51-year-old appeared on BBC Breakfast recently, alongside fellow former footballer Stephen Darby. The former Liverpool defender was diagnosed in 2018 with MND.

On air, Darby asked Stewart if he still feels strong, to which he replied: "Yeah, I do. I think that football background, being in elite sport, although you don't know it at the time it kind of prepares you for what's happening now - a little bit, psychologically. I think we are used to living in the moment, as a player - day-by-day and week-by-week.

"You cannot look four months ahead or a year ahead, because you don't know what's going to go on. So for me, I can relate to it because that's how it is now. I live in the moment. I live week-to-week and don't look about next year or next month, just every day. I cannot grip anything with this (left) hand now."

Stewart has explained how the 'first thing' he wanted to do post-diagnosis, was get in touch with someone else who has the disease. That led to him emailing fellow ex-pro Darby, who set up the Darby Rimmer MND Foundation in 2022 - alongside former serviceman Chris Rimmer, who passed away later that year.

The foundation has raised £1.3million to fight the rare condition which - according to the NHS - has no cure; treatments are available to help improve every day life. The disease affects the brain and nervous system - weakening lmbs, causing weight loss and slurring speech.