Marcus Stewart: Ex-Bristol Rovers striker on raising MND awareness after diagnosis
- Published
Marcus Stewart's charity match at the Memorial Ground will see a team of West Country legends take on an all-star opposition
Former Ipswich, Sunderland and Bristol Rovers striker Marcus Stewart said he feels responsibility to "keep banging the drum" to raise awareness of motor neurone disease (MND).
The 50-year-old confirmed he had been diagnosed with MND in September.
A charity match is being held at Rovers' Memorial Stadium on 13 May in Stewart's name.
Former players including Manchester United's Paul Scholes and Euro 2022 winner Jill Scott are due to take part.
"These players are coming here for the right reasons - they're not coming here to up their profile they're coming here to have a laugh, they're coming here to see old team-mates, but the main thing is they're coming to help raise money for motor neurone disease, it's that simple," Stewart told BBC Points West.
"It's a celebration for me but it can't be the last game that happens or the last event that happens. It has to keep going forward. There has to be something else happening next year.
"It has to happen often whether it's a golf day, whether it's a cycle ride, whether it's a run, whether you're climbing anywhere. It has to keep banging that drum, it can't be a one-off thing."
Bristol-born Stewart began his career with Bristol Rovers - despite growing up as a Bristol City fan - and made 207 appearances for the club.
He went on to play in all top four tiers of English football, scoring 254 goals in 783 games.
He has been head of player development at former club Yeovil since last summer.
The match in May will see a team of former players in the South West take on an all-star opposition.
"Mentally it gives you something to do. I'm busy anyway, my life is rammed with stuff every day, whether I'm down at Yeovil helping with those guys - who are a great bunch of people - or whether I'm up north watching my kids play rugby and then getting days off and getting time to do things I want to do," Stewart added.
"That's important, I don't want to be sat at home doing nothing."
'Learning to adapt'
MND is a degenerative condition that affects the nerves in the brain and spinal cord.
Stewart is a one of a number of sportspeople to have been diagnosed in recent years, along with former Scotland rugby union lock Doddie Weir, Gloucester and Leicester lock Ed Slater, former rugby league player Rob Burrow and ex-footballers Stephen Darby and Len Johnrose.
Ex-Liverpool defender Darby was the first person Stewart contacted after he was given his diagnosis and the upcoming charity match is to raise money for the Darby Rimmer Foundation, co-founded by Darby.
"I ended up meeting up with him, he gave me loads of good advice," Stewart said.
"His one thing he said to me that sticks out, he said 'Marcus, as things move on - hopefully they move on slower because they're different in MND patients - as things move on you've got to adapt your body and adapt the way you do things'."
Stewart has been part of the coaching staff at former club Yeovil since last summer
Stewart said he is in good health apart from experiencing tremors in his left arm and hand.
"Psychologically I'm good, physically all good apart from one arm but I've got to adapt and I've adapted OK - my grip is a bit dodgy, I can't pick a cup of tea up, but it's great because someone else has got to do it for me, so I'm all right.
"I don't put myself in a dark place to think about those sort of things."