Frank is latest football hero hit by Alzheimer’s
FORMER England star Frank Worthington may have developed Alzheimer’s disease after years of heading old- style footballs, his family revealed yesterday.
Worthington, 67 – one of football’s great mavericks from the Seventies – has been suffering with the condition for several years.
The Leicester City star’s daughter Kim- Malou, 42, believes his Alzheimer’s may have been brought on by damage to the brain from heading heavy leather footballs.
Last month it was revealed that three members of England’s 1966 World Cup winning team – Martin Peters, Ray Wilson and Nobby Stiles – have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, while Jack Charlton also told how he suffers from severe memory loss.
In 2002 former England striker Jeff Astle died from brain trauma which a coroner ruled was caused by heading heavy leather balls.
A charity set up by Mr Astle’s family warned that more than 300 former professional footballers have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and thousands more may have brain damage.
Kim- Malou said: “Frank Worthington has Alzheimer’s… they say several footballers from my dad’s era have suffered the same disease, possibly due to the constant heading of the heavy football back in the day.”
The Football Association wants world football’s governing body Fifa to investigate dementia as a consequence of playing the game.
Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia.
Halifax- born Worthington, who lives with his wife Carol in Huddersfi eld, was a fl amboyant striker with a deadly left foot.
He played eight games and scored two goals for his country and during a career spanning 26 years he played for several clubs, making more than 200 appearances for Leicester.
He also had spells at Bolton and Birmingham City and in the US for Philadelphia Fury and Tampa Bay Rowdies.