Former Scotland star Willie Donachie makes emotional plea after wife's tragic diagnosis

Willie Donachie played at a World Cup, spent 12 years at and is a hugely-respected coach.

Donachie’s partnership with former manager Joe Royle saw them take Oldham into the , an semi-final and they worked together at . And the football family has been quick to rally round and support 73-year-old Donachie through what has been the hardest and most traumatic time of his life.

Former defender Donachie, who won 35 caps and went to the 1978 World Cup, is now speaking out after seeing his nearest and dearest suffering in the most heartbreaking manner. Donachie’s beloved wife Mileva, 66, was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia nearly two years ago which forced him to give up his coaching career.

That came after great friends like and ex-City team mate . Medical experts advised him to put Mileva into a specialist care home last but he visits her every day and every day comes the same heartbreak when he has to say goodbye.

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has seen so many cases of dementia and Donachie is determined to raise awareness to try and encourage early diagnosis to allow sufferers to get the best possible care.

Donachie said: “Football has been great. Because it’s a team sport, you have to work together to be successful. On the whole, football people are very generous with their help and time. They are very understanding.

“Football is just a part of my life and it’s the same for others. We all have families, workmates and everyone you talk to knows someone who is suffering with this awful condition.

“She went in to a home around Christmas. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. It’s like a death because it feels like you are mourning somebody. I wouldn’t wish it on anybody.

“I wasn’t capable, I couldn’t look after her and I was with all the time which meant I was just shattered. You are struggling to cope but you don’t want to admit it.”

Mileva was born in Serbia, speaks four languages, played musical instruments and was a dance and yoga teacher. She was super bright, sporty, fit and will always be the love of Willie’s life. They each have children and have been together 25 years.

Donachie now lives in the North East - one of his more recent coaching jobs was with ’s reserves - and had to give up coaching the Montserrat national team when Mileva was diagnosed.

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"She began worrying about things and developing obsessions. One thing she did was she started buying plastic boxes and she bought hundreds of them. She’d wander off when we went shopping and come back with so many of them,” said Donachie.

"I visit her every day. We will go somewhere, have a coffee, keep her active, because she is deteriorating physically as well. She’ll often fall asleep in her chair, her head will bend forward and now it’s like that. It’s so sad because she is someone who was so active.

"Every day I will go and my wife will say: ‘Can I come with you now?’ It’s heartbreaking. She remembers me and who I am at the moment. But it’s very hard to handle it.

"It’s about getting the right care and medication as quickly as possible. That’s the thing about finding out early: to get the help. It’s only going to get worse because society is getting older and there will be more sufferers.”

Donachie was friends with ex-Scotland team mate McQueen and was particularly close to Conway who died in 2020. They both played for Portland Timbers. But Conway’s story also explodes the theory that dementia in football is all about heading the ball.

Donachie added: “Jimmy Conway never headed the ball, lived well, didn’t get drunk and was such a nice person. He got it in his 50s which is so hard and there’s no rhyme or reason. People talk about it coming from heading the ball but I don’t remember Jimmy heading it once!

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“I went over to see him. He was in Portland and that’s a lovely place. He was put on medication and he became violent. He was never violent - not for one moment. But they sent him to a secure place.

“I went to see him and I got there and it’s the place out of One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest! Jimmy’s in One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest! But, honestly, Jimmy was such a nice person, great sense of humour and wasn’t a drinker, smoker or anything.

“You can’t really say why you get it there’s no reason or logic behind it. I never forget how lucky I was to play and work in football. I still do some coaching at an academy and that’s quite rewarding. I like to give something back.”

A dementia diagnosis is vital to give people access to the care, treatment and support they desperately need. Learn the signs and symptoms of dementia at .

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