A FORMER Premier League star battling motor neurone disease must now eat through a feeding tube after a “life-changing” procedure.

Stephen Darby, 36, was forced to retire from work soccer after being diagnosed with motor neuron disease (MND) in 2018.

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But in recent months, the former Bolton Travelers and the condition of Liverpool ace Darby has sadly deteriorated.

Her health is now so severe that he needs a feeding tube to give his body the nutrients and food it needs to survive.

Darby’s wife Steph Houghton has provided an update on her husband’s health after he underwent a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy.

The former captain of the Lionesses declared The guardian: “You want Stephen to live as normal a life as possible, to be able to eat as much food as possible and fit in that calorie intake.

“Over the last few months it became a bit risky to eat and that’s when we had to make a decision. We need Stephen to keep his weight down and eat.”

Houghton said the last few months hadn’t been great because such decisions are “life-changing” and take a long time to get used to, but it was the best thing for Stephen and allowed him to relax a little more.

Houghton said it had been a “difficult journey” but she wanted to be honest about the process in order to raise awareness about the disease.

She believes that a discussion about the reality of this incurable disease can potentially help people in the future.

Motor neuron disease affects specialized nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord and makes daily activities increasingly difficult or completely impossible.

The majority of people diagnosed with the disease have a life expectancy of three years from the time they first notice symptoms.

MND slowly robs patients of the ability to walk, talk and eat, although each patient is different.

Some have a life expectancy of only a few months, while other forms of illness do not affect lifespan.

It is usually diagnosed in people over the age of 50 and men are at greater risk than women, but it is important to remember that many people apart from that are affected.

Although motor neurone disease is not usually painful, the symptoms can be extremely debilitating.

In many cases, signs of the disease will appear gradually.

Typically, this occurs on just one side of the body, before gradually getting worse.

Muscle weakness and muscle spasms are common, while swallowing and breathing can also become a difficult task.

Heartbreakingly, motor neurone disease can leave the diagnosed person unable to move or communicate with possessions with stiff joints.

Although research has been conducted into the cause of motor neurone disease, it is difficult to identify a particular trigger for the disease.

About five to ten percent of all people with MND have the hereditary or genetic form of the disease, while genes may still play a small role in other cases.

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About 35 percent of people with MND experience mild cognitive changes, which can lead to problems in executive functions such as planning, decision-making and language.

Additionally, 15 percent of people with MND show signs of frontotemporal dementiawhich leads to a more pronounced change in behavior.

Darby rose through the ranks of his hometown club Liverpool and made his debut against PSV in Champions League in 2008.

The defender followed up with his first start with the Reds in the same competition the following year.

After loan spells at Swindon, Notts County and Rochdale, he left Anfield permanently in 2012.

Darby then joined the Bradford team which reached the 2013 title Football League Cup Final, making over 200 appearances for the club and captaining the team for two seasons.

After five years at Bradford, Darby then signed a two-year contract with Bolton Wanderers in 2017.

Messages of support poured in when the defender was diagnosed with MND in September 2018 while playing for Bolton.

Darby and his friend Chris Rimmer, a former soldier, launched the Darby Rimmer MND Foundation in 2019 to raise awareness of this deadly disease, offer support to those suffering and raise funds for research aimed at finding a possible cure.

Since then, numerous events have been organized to support the foundation, with over £130,000 raised.

Darby is not the only sporting figure to have been affected by MND.

Inspiring England rugby league star Rob Burrow died in June this year after battling motor neurone disease for four years.

THE Leeds Rhinoceros The legend was diagnosed with MND in 2019, just two years after retiring following a 17-season league career.

Burrows had not been on the rugby field since 2017, when he retired from the sport he loved and was initially given two years to live.

His diagnosis raised £15 million for charity including £8.5 million from a friend and former teammate Kevin Sinfield who raised £2 million from seven marathons in as many days.

Burrows met a former Scottish rugby union player and another MND sufferer Doddie Weir, who revealed in 2017 that he had been diagnosed with MND at just 46 years old.

Fernando Ricksen was a former Rangers player who was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 2013 and tragically died after six years of battle on September 18, 2019.

The Dutch national was a fan favorite during his six-year stay at Rangers after being signed by Dick Advocaat in 2000.

Ricksen was a passionate activist and fundraiser, spending years raising money and awareness for those similarly battling the disease.

Joost van der Westhuizen, who died in 2017, was another prominent sportsman affected by the disease.

England and Nottinghamshire cricketer Stuart Broad and his family created The broad appeal after her stepmother Miche Broad was diagnosed with the illness and later died.

Remarkably, the genius of physics Stephen Hawking has been battling motor neurone disease since the age of 21.

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