Former England captain Dave Watson has a neurodegenerative disease which his wife Penny believes was most likely brought on by head injuries and repeated heading of the ball.
Watson, 73, won 65 caps and helped Sunderland win the 1973 FA Cup before guiding Manchester City to League Cup success three years later.
"Dave has good and bad days," she said.
"He tries to continue to enjoy a normal life, however almost every day we are confronted with a new challenge."
Penny Watson said her husband's consultant thought that it was "in all probability chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)" - the disease determined as the cause of former West Brom striker Jeff Astle's death in 2002.
One of the finest footballing centre halves I have ever seen playing in a sky blue shirt for our team.He had everything in his locker,pace,footballing brain,wonderful tackler,could bring a ball out of the back with so much ease but to me his biggest attribute was his heading ability.
So sorry to hear that he has these severe problems.Keep going mate for your family and all those footie fans at all your previous clubs.
A true leader and as near to a Vinny as you could ever see.
