David ‘Syd’ Lawrence: Former England bowler says ‘I’m not afraid of dying’ with ALS

Burrow and Sinfield have raised more than £15 million for MND charities and Lawrence is busy organising his own fundraising events.

He says the voices of sports stars affected by the disease can help raise awareness and help for others in the same situation.

“I was aware of MND through Kevin Sinfield and Rob Burrow, with all their publicity, and famous people like Doddie Weir. Did I ever think I would be? No, never,” said Lawrence.

“I spoke to Kevin and he was a great help. He offered me and my wife support and contacts, and even arranged for us to speak to Rob Burrow’s wife.

“That was really good of him. He’s a remarkable human being for what he’s done. We need to give a voice to other people who aren’t as well known and are struggling.

“If you can help one person through it, that’s great.

“Athletes have a strong attitude, we overcome obstacles in our lives, have different goals.

“This is the toughest one, but we will find a way to get through it. We are fighters and we have big hearts and big minds.

“We are ready for the fight. We may not win the fight, but we are ready for the fight.”