Ex Liverpool star Darby: I'm lucky to survive 5 years with Motor Neurone Disease

Former Premier League footballer Stephen Darby has said he counts himself lucky to still be alive five years after his Motor Neurone Disease diagnosis.

Posting on the Instagram page of his Darby Rimmer MND Foundation, which raises money for research into the disease, the 34-year-old said that while 'daily tasks are tougher', he considers himself fortunate to still be here.

The ex Liverpool and Bradford City striker was first diagnosed on September 12th 2018 at the age of 29 - just three months after his wedding to former England Lioness captain Steph Houghton.

He told followers in a post Tuesday, exactly five years after he received the news: '80%-90% of people who are diagnosed with MND die within 5 years. A third of people who are diagnosed die within a year, and half of people diagnosed die within two years. I count myself one of the lucky ones.'

He added: 'Daily tasks are tougher, some tasks require help and some require more effort but I feel that effort is a privilege. It’s a privilege because although it’s harder it means I’m still able to do it.'

His wife, 35, who plays at right back for Manchester City shared his post, saying: 'Proudest wife ever! We're winning the fight! Love you'.

Defender Darby was playing at Bolton Wanderers, while studying for his football coaching badges, when he was given the diagnosis at a Sheffield hospital in 2018.

The Darby Rimmer Foundation was founded soon after by the footballer and Chris Rimmer, a former soldier and Liverpool fan who was diagnosed with the disease in 2015, and died in 2022. The charity has raised more than £1.3million to date.

Darby's wife Steph Houghton, who once captained England's Lionesses and plays for Manchester City, penned a column for the Daily Mail throughout