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Former striker Marcus Stewart has spoken about his Motor Neurone Disease diagnosis in a new Sky and TNT Sports documentary, titled Marcus Stewart: Not Defeated.
The football legend played for Ipswich Town between the years 2000 and 2002 and made 93 appearances and scored 37 goals across all competitions for the club.
The documentary looks back at Stewart's rise from the lower leagues to become one of English football's most prolific goalscorers, including his celebrated spell at Ipswich, where he fired the club into the Premier League and earned widespread acclaim as one of the division's most effective strikers.
Ipswich Town legend Marcus Stewart has praised the club for helping the fight against MND (Image: ITFC)
Speaking in the documentary, Stewart says: "In football you have so many disappointments, whether it is getting injuries, and I think that is preparing me for what is going on at the moment.
"I had a little cry (when I got the diagnosis), but that was it.
"After that week, I was back on the game.
"I'm the unlucky lucky one.
"I'm unlucky because I got the disease but lucky because I got it slow."
His wife, Louise, also features in the show, including footage from their wedding day and her own interviews about life since Stewart retired from professional football.
She said: "We were really lucky, really fortunate with our perfect life.
"I didn't notice anything. It was during lockdown and we were just sat outside a local bar and his hand just cramped up.
"It was almost like getting a phone call to say he died.
"I will always have hope. We will always have hope."
Viewers can catch up on the show now.