Former Wales captain Ryan Jones has confirmed in an emotional interview that he is suffering from early-onset dementia.
The 41-year-old, who won74 caps between 2004 and 2014, admitted that his current predicament “terrifies” him.
“I feel like my world is falling apart,” Jones told The Sunday Times in a harrowing testimony. “And I am really scared. Because I’ve got three children and three step-children and I want to be a fantastic dad.
“I lived 15 years of my life like a superhero and I’m not. I don’t know what the future holds. I am a product of an environment that is all about process and human performance.
“I’m not able to perform like I could. And I just want to lead a happy, healthy, normal life.
“I feel that’s been taken away and there’s nothing I can do. I can’t train harder, I can’t play the referee, I don’t know what the rules of the game are anymore.”