Former Nottingham Forest boss Joe Kinnear is "living with dementia", his family have confirmed.
Kinnear is now expected to need full-time care, with his family telling the Telegraph that they believe his condition stems back to heading a ball in his playing days.
Kinnear's wife, Bonnie, told the national newspaper: "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."
A statement from Kinnear' s family read: "It’s just awful.
"They insure footballers against breakages, so why not against dementia?
"There must be enough money in football to help those who need it.
"And they must take further steps to make the game safer for those playing now and in the future.
"More has to be done in both areas. This is not about us - it’s about the whole of football."
Kinnear, who managed the Reds for a spell in 2004, also had spells in charge at Wimbledon, Luton Town and Newcastle United.
