Joe Kinnear dementia diagnosis made public
The family of Joe Kinnear’s have revealed that the former Newcastle United manager and director of football, was diagnosed with dementia six years ago.
The latest former football player where a diagnosis has been made public with this quite horrific condition.
Joe Kinnear now 74 and having been diagnosed in his late 60s, back in 2015.
Kinnear’s wife Bonnie confirming that her husband was diagnosed with early onset vascular dementia in 2015 and that his condition has since deteriorated.
Joe Kinnear was Newcastle United manager for the majority of the 2008/09 season, then returned as director of football from 2013 to 2014, a year before his dementia was diagnosed.
Bonnie Kinnear speaking to the Daily Telegraph:
“He started to get moody – a bit depressed. I thought, ‘this isn’t right’.
“Then he got aggressive in certain situations. It just wasn’t Joe.
“It was a problem trying to get him to see somebody but we eventually got him to a doctor and he was diagnosed in 2015.
“They classed it as early onset vascular dementia and, since then, he has just deteriorated. He’s in the late stage. It is heartbreaking to see how someone can change.
“He was larger than life. He loved people. He’d walk in a pub, buy everyone a drink, tell funny stories and be the life and soul of the party.
“…it has reached the stage where we just need now to get him into full-time care.
“We are not at a happy state at the moment.”
The Telegraph report that ‘former outfield players are four times more likely to suffer neurodegenerative disease than the general population and researchers are finding no decline in that alarming ratio since football moved into the Premier League era.’
Kinnear’s daughter Russelle saying:
“Common sense tells you that the damage starts as soon as you start heading a ball.
“This is about educating schools, academies, parents and coaches.
“It has been totally heartbreaking.
“I feel like my parents have been robbed of so many good years together.”
Very sad to hear about anyone suffering from this terrible condition and hopefully Joe Kinnear and his family receive the best care and help possible in dealing with it.
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