Huddersfield Town legend Marcus Steward has been diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND)
Huddersfield Town legend Marcus Stewart has shared a statement today confirmed his diagnosis for Motor Neurone Disease (MND).
Having been a Terrier between 1996-2000, Stewart was a huge favourite at the Club, scoring over 58 goals in 133 appearances in West Yorkshire.
Remaining a friend of the Club well into retirement, Stewart attended the John Smith's Stadium last season as a special guest, and was also present at our Sky Bet Championship Play-Off Final at Wembley in May.
Marcus has released a statement via the PFA, which can be seen in full below:
Following 12 months of testing, former Huddersfield Town forward Marcus Stewart has been diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND).
Marcus’ playing career spanned 20 years. He amassed over 650 appearances at eight different clubs, including Bristol Rovers, Huddersfield Town, Ipswich Town, Sunderland, Bristol City, Yeovil Town and Exeter City, scoring over 250 goals. The Bristol-born striker also played at every tier of English professional football, including scoring 19 goals for Ipswich Town in the Premier League, helping the Tractor Boys secure fifth place in 2000-2001 and qualify for the UEFA Cup.
Since retirement, he has moved into coaching and management, working at Exeter City, Bristol Rovers and Walsall. Marcus is currently Head of Player Development at Yeovil Town.
Marcus said: "I would like to take the opportunity to thank those closest to me for their unwavering support since my recent diagnosis.
"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."
Marcus and his wife Louise have set up a JustGiving page with all proceeds going to the Darby Rimmer MND Foundation.
You can support and donate here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/louise-stewart254.
Everyone at Huddersfield Town and the PFA is committed to supporting Marcus and his family in whatever way we can. We know the same will be true of fans of Marcus’ previous clubs and the wider football family.
For more information on MND, please visit: www.mndassociation.org.
