‘You are losing your best friend’: ‘Forgotten’ England captain Dave Watson’s dementia battle

Former England captain Dave Watson has been diagnosed with dementia.

Centre-backs like Watson are five times more likely to suffer from a neurodegenerative disease than someone of the same age in a different profession.

Watson first went to the doctors to share concerns about his memory in 2011 before being persuaded by the family to go for a full check in 2014 after they feared that he might have a brain tumour.

The family went public with Watson ’s condition in 2020 .

Watson was a rock in the immortal second division Sunderland team of Bob Stokoe that won the 1973 FA Cup final against Don Revie ’s all-conquering Leeds United .

He then starred for the Manchester City side of the late-1970s which won the 1976 League Cup .

Watson played through a head injury that also left crimson stains all over his shirt and shorts.

Penny recalls a match against City in January 1980 after he had joined Channon and Alan Ball at title-challenging Southampton .

Gemma Jordan , who is the youngest of the Watsons’ three children and a professional filmmaker, has begun making a documentary about her father's life.

The proposed title of the documentary is Forgotten : The Story of Big Dave Watson .