Lenny Johnrose, the one-time Hartlepool United striker, has been diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease.

Signed from Blackburn Rovers for £50,000 in 1992 by Alan Murray, the 48-year-old, revealed in an interview with BBC Radio Lancashire he is suffering from the debilitating disease.

He made 66 appearances for Pools, scoring 11 times and later played for Bury, Burnley and Swansea.

Johnrose, now a school teacher in Blackburn, revealed: “I had various symptoms, it transpired after tests and investigations that I’ve got Motor Neurone Disease.

“It was strange at first, I felt I knew for a few months. I thought I had a nerve problems from a break which didn’t heal. But I felt a weakness in my other hand. They got me back for more tests and I had an uneasy feeling – looking at google and things you shouldn’t do.

“I told my wife and laughed at first, but when we went back we asked outright and they told us not to worry and we would see. That was August, September last year and it was another six months when things were progressing.’’

Doddie Wier, the former Scotland and Newcastle Falcons forward, has helped raise the profile of MND through his charity work after being diagnosed. Paul Mullen, the ex-Pools press officer, battled the disease for a number of years.

Johnrose added: “I kind of knew, every minute, every day, it was on my mind. It wasn’t the world’s biggest surprise when we found out.

“We started planning straight away – I would be fine an then two weeks later couldn’t move my fingers. There’s an MND team in Preston who are really helpful. They help you make the life you have now easier.

“It’s horrific to say but lifespan-wise 50 per cent die within two years. There’s no long term goal, but there’s examples of people living beyond that. I don’t want to go through that life for eons, but you need things in place – wills, funeral packages and I’m quite pragmatic about it, but there are a lot of down days.’’