Former Town striker John Deehan has been battling Alzheimer’s Disease for the last six years, his wife has announced.
Deehan, 64, was with the Blues between 1986 and 1988, making 56 starts and seven sub appearances, scoring 14 times, having joined from Norwich City in a swap deal which saw Trevor Putney move in the opposite direction.
In a statement Linda Deehan said: "Now seems like the right time to inform you that for several years my husband John Deehan, former Aston Villa, WBA, Norwich City and Ipswich Town centre forward, has been battling a neurodegenerative disease.
"John’s consultant has concluded that he has dementia, namely Alzheimer’s Disease. John was only 58 years old at the time.
"John has good days and bad days. He endeavours to continue to live and enjoy a normal life, as best as possible, however almost every day we are confronted with a new challenge.
"If you come across him at a match or elsewhere, please don’t be afraid to interact with him. Please understand that John may not be able to converse in the way he once did, but he still loves to talk about football and share a laugh.
"Please be considerate if he is having a bad day and struggling. This disease plays tricks on his memory, so he may not be able to remember accurately, and he may find signing autographs a challenge.
"Even though things have not ended as we had planned, we continue to live our lives as best we can.”
Deehan also had spells as manager at Norwich and Wigan, and as caretaker boss at Villa.
The focus on former players suffering with dementia has increased in recent years with research conducted for the PFA and the FA finding that ex-players are from two to five times more likely to die from degenerative brain diseases than the wider population.