HE’S been described as “an inspirational figure” by Jeff Stelling; but Lloyd Pinder isn’t one for accolades and pats on the back. He’s too straight talking and humble for that.

The Sunderland fan, from Seaham but now ensconced in West Yorkshire, is terminally ill with prostate cancer. He’s in isolation at home.

Since diagnosis in 2016, he hasn’t let it beat him, hasn’t let it get him down and, during the toughest of times for everyone right now, he won’t let it get to him now either.

“I think that people of today have it easy. People are moaning and we all remember in the North-East the miners’ strike in the 80s,’’he mused.

“That that was pretty depressing times. People didn’t have fuel, food, money - we have all that, but are simply being asked to stay indoors.

“I’m on a few social media groups, one for me dad in Seaham, and it’s the inability of people to understand what’s essential which is the key. Now if everyone was bright it wouldn’t be straight forward would it….’’

You can’t help but respect his outlook. Self-isolating, he’s missing his wife and daughters. He pines for football too, but there’s more to life than the beautiful game.

He admitted: “I’m missing football but it’s not the be all and end all is it?

“If footballers take a big pay cut then it’s going to cost the Government and the Treasury more than anything – it makes no sense. If we ask them to take that do you understand how much less gets put into the economy.

“Everyone knows footballers do more, but they do a lot in private to support charities. A lot of people see them being in a privileged position, but it’s a minority earning fortunes. How about the bankers, hedge fund managers….. football is there, in front of you, everywhere.’’

Lloyd has walked across the land with Stelling on the marches for men, which has helped raise over a million pound for the cause.

His employers, Club Insure, have teed up a three-year partnership with Prostate Cancer UK, with the aim of raising £5.5m to help the charity.

Stelling admitted: “Lloyd is an inspirational figure. We first met on the first walk four years ago, since then we have been friends – albeit from a distance.

“He just constantly amazes me with his attitude and how positive he is. The last walk we did, the four in four countries, he was too ill to do it. As we crossed the finish line at new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, who was there to put the medal on me at the finish? Lloyd Pinder. What a guy.’’

The respect works both ways.

“I used to play football in the Harrogate and District Premier League, but my football and cricket days are long behind me now,’’ reflected Lloyd.

“We had our end of season bash and the club wanted to do something for Prostate Cancer, to give 75 per cent of the night to them, so they asked about getting someone to host the event.

“We thought about the usual people in and around Leeds, Simon Grayson, Danny Mills. One of the lads asked if I thought Jeff would do it – not a chance, he won’t come here.

“Then he drove up from Hampshire, Saturday morning, did it for free. He was there three and a half hours. He mucked in, did everything asked, had a few sherbets and it was one of the best dos people have been to. He’s so down to earth.

“I’ve done a few walks with him now and you see him and speaking to his son Robbie, you get to know them.

“He’s a great broadcaster, one of the best. He’s a Pools fan, grounded.’’

A Sunderland die-hard, the Black Cats have been in the public eye of late with the second chapter of the Netflix series Sunderland Till I Die being aired.

Warts and all, it exposes the club’s pride and failings in equal measures.

“One thing I would like to point out, and I’ve made my view on various social media places, is that I think Charlie Methven is a very astute guy who people basically rounded on,’’ said Lloyd.

“Someone mentioned about middle management and that, more than anything at Sunderland, has to be responsibility for the downturn.

“He said, you have that job to do, do it right. Everyone had a way of doing it, we paid a bill and sent it to Ellis Short.

“It’s like when Paolo Di Canio came in - you lot aren’t good enough, not fit enough, I’m going to knock you into shape. Then the players revolted and got him out.

“Di Canio might have been a lunatic but he would have had them out of the club or got them fitter than ever.

“Charlie got bullied out a bit, but he’s been honest about it.

“You don’t go to Oxford University if you are daft do you? But at clubs you have a lot of people who can’t see the wood for the trees.

“I enjoyed watching it all, but it highlighted what I knew anyway about the club. We will come again. I think Stewart Donald has tried his best, seen an opportunity and hoped to get lucky and get promoted.’’

With the series watched and mulled over, Lloyd admitted: “It’s tough right now. I’m having treatment – radium 223, a targeted medicine to attack the cancer in the bones, which is going OK and it suggests it is putting the cancer to sleep.

“But if I have cancer in my lymph nodes it could be morphing out of control.

“My mobility is less than ideal, stuck in bed, can’t engage with my children and my muscle mass is decreasing. It’s not great, but why worry about it? I can’t do anything about it.

“You have to be pragmatic. If I can do anything, speak to people, get a message out there then it helps.’’

And he paid tribute to the work of Prostate Cancer UK and what they have done for him and others: “It’s never just about the odd phone call – I’ve almost become part of their family. The offices in London had a Zoom call, a half hour session from someone’s kitchen which I was in on.

“I’ve got to meet some of my heroes along the way, been invited to their golf events and I’ve met Jeff a number of times now, a cracking bloke who I would like to call a friend.

“Facetime helps a lot now with speaking to people and my family, Zoom calls with the lads, but it’s no great hardship being in lockdown. It’s something we need to do and the hope is everyone can do their part as asked.’’

Visit prostate cancer on line for more help and information