Wolves legend Mike Bailey's battle with Alzheimer’s disease

Bailey, who lifted the League Cup for Wolves at Wembley in 1974 as well as playing in the 1972 Uefa Cup final, is now battling dementia.

His daughter Victoria Tyler told the Express & Star that consultants diagnosed the 78-year-old with Alzheimer’s in 2017, with scans revealing he was suffering with the degenerative condition.

Mrs Tyler, who helps her mother Barbara and brother Andrew with the care needed for the Molineux great at his home in Surrey, called on the PFA to grasp the opportunity of a change in leadership to do more for former footballers with dementia following news that chief executive Gordon Taylor is to step down at the end of the season.

“My dad was diagnosed in November 2017, he’s 78 now, but it started in his early 70s,” she said.

“The last few years, we’ve just been trying to deal with it as a family, trying to care for him.

“We haven’t come forward before because we were just dealing with my dad and his mental health.

“As more and more stories have been coming through, we had CT scans of my dad which confirmed Alzheimer’s.

“We are coming forward now to make a point that this can’t be hidden any more and really to try to encourage others players to come forward who have suffered with the same thing.

“Obviously it’s really difficult when it’s your dad and with all the footage you see of him of as such a strong player and now he’s such a shadow of himself.

“It’s really tough and there has been absolutely no help whatsoever in terms of care.

“My mum is looking after my dad 24/7, he has to be watched all the time, we can’t leave him so it’s really getting across that we need more players, at whatever level they played at, to help make a stand.

“Dad obviously played for England and captained Wolves but all of those players need to come forward as now is the time something needs to be done and the PFA needs to take some responsibility and acknowledge the problem and put some sort of care package in place.

“Not just for ex-footballers but for their wives and families; my mum is just exhausted as a family we try to support her as much as we can.

“We’re on a waiting list for some care help through the NHS but it is a waiting list, we have no idea how long that is going to take. It’s a really difficult time, especially with lockdown exacerbating the problem.”

Mrs Tyler told how her parents bumped into PFA chief Taylor at another of his former clubs, Charlton Athletic, a few months after his diagnosis.

“My mum spoke to Gordon Taylor in February 2018  with my dad,” she added. “They were at a Charlton match.

“Gordon called the next day. My dad, with having Alzheimer’s, is not able to drive.

“But all we were offered was that they could help with a taxi to the hospital if we were offered an appointment.

“There was no follow-up call, nothing, no care package, nothing. So we keep muddling on as a family.

“It’s absolutely heartbreaking when you keep hearing these stories of people like Nobby Stiles, Jack Charlton and Bobby Charlton.

“My dad played for England in 1964, he was part of that whole group, in the squad, it’s so many of these players.

“It’s not just the weight of the ball, it’s the speed of the ball now and I feel nobody really wants to take note that something has got to change and soon as players are coming through more and more. It’s heartbreaking for the wives of these players.

“My dad doesn’t really understand how much pressure it puts on the family because he doesn’t realise we’re having to watch him all the time because he could be a danger to himself. Just silly things like he could turn the bath on then forget the water is on.

“I know Gordon Taylor is stepping down, this is now the time for the PFA to make a stand and make changes and put some kind of care package in place to help these ex-footballers.”