Former England captain Steph Houghton has revealed her husband has undergone a 'life-changing' procedure due to his condition deteriorating amid his ongoing battle with motor neurone disease (MND).
Stephen Darby, 36, who came through Liverpool's academy before going on to play for Swindon Town, Notts County, Rochdale, Bradford City and Bolton Wanderers, retired from football in September 2018 - just three months after marrying Houghton - after being diagnosed with MND.
He has lived with the rare condition that affects the brain and nerves for the last six years, but his condition has worsened in recent months.
Houghton, 36, who captained the Lionesses between 2014 and 2021, has now explained how Darby has been fitted with a feeding tube following a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy to help get the necessary nutrients into his body to survive.
'You want Stephen to be living a normal life as much as possible, to be able to eat as much food as he can and get that calorie intake on board,' she told The Guardian.
'Over the last few months it became a bit risky having food and that’s when the decision had to be made. We need Stephen to keep weight on and to eat. It hasn’t been a great few months because these decisions are life-changing and it takes a lot of time to get used to. But ultimately it’s the best thing for him. It allows him to relax a bit more.
'There are good and bad days but I think we’ve adapted really well over the last six years. It’s obviously a tough ride but I want to be honest about the actual process and spread awareness of the disease. It’s so important we discuss the reality of MND so we can potentially help people in the future.'
'In the first few years it was so hard to take in. You don’t want to believe it because you’re like: ‘Why us? We’re only young and Stephen should still be playing football. It’s not fair.’ But the more you dwell on it, the more that it harms you. So I’ve learnt how important it is to be positive.'
Darby has aimed to raise awareness of MND since his diagnosis, and raised £130,000 alongside Marcus Stewart - another ex-footballer suffering from MND - by completing a 178-mile charity march from Anfield to Valley Parade last year.
He also encouraged Houghton to keep playing football, before she eventually hung her boots up at the end of last season.
Houghton is now an ambassador for Manchester City, while she has also begun her coaching journey, worked as a pundit for Sky and started a podcast alongside Ian Wright.
Houghton admits to feeling guilt when she has to leave Darby behind for her work, but has hailed the support network the couple have in place that has helped them through such a difficult period.
'When I’m going to games or having to stay overnight I feel a little guilty because I’m not with Stephen,' Houghton added. 'It takes a lot out of you emotionally.
'These last few months have been challenging because you always have that worry in the back of your head if you’re not there and something happens. You just want it to be OK but I think we’re getting into more of a routine. Our families have been absolutely unreal as we’ve got such a good support network. It allows me to do what I need to do and for Stephen to have the best possible care.'
