Rob Burrow dead: Rugby League icon dies aged 41 after MND battle as tributes flood in | Other | Sport

“I expected to be told I had something that could be treated and move on,” he said. “It was a bit of a shock when the doctor told me I had something which has no cure.

“Apart from my voice and a few bits and bobs, I feel normal and good to go. The hardest bit is that you do not know why you have it and there is nothing you can do. Maybe it’s the athlete in us all, we don’t want to lie down and just take it, we want to compete.”

The worsening symptoms of MND eventually left Burrow just seven stone in weight and only able to eat liquidised food. He also became non-verbal, communicating via a computer operated with his eyes.