Former Carlisle United defender Gethin Jones has revealed he considered quitting football when his mum was diagnosed with motor neurone disease.
The man who played for the Blues in 2019/20 admitted it was an emotional moment when he scored in Bolton Wanderers' Papa John's Trophy final victory on Sunday.
After heading Bolton's fourth goal in their 4-0 win over Plymouth Argyle, he pointed to the sky in memory of mum Karen, who passed away from MND aged 56 just over a year ago.
In post-match interviews at Wembley, 27-year-old Jones thanked his club for helping him through the toughest of times.
“My mum passed away last year with motor neurone disease and it’s been a difficult 18 months or so since my mum was first diagnosed," he said.
“Honestly, without this club, I wouldn’t be playing football right now.
"When it happened, I could’ve quit football.
"Everyone was here to support me and it was an emotional day, but that goal was for my mum.”
As Karen fought the disease, Bolton held a charity game last year to raise funds for her treatment and care, as well as the Darby Rimmer Foundation which funds and assists research into the illness.
Jones has been with Bolton since 2020, following a 37-game spell with Carlisle under Steven Pressley and Chris Beech.
He has since made 109 appearances for the Trotters - the latest coming in memorable circumstances in front of 79,389 fans at the national stadium.
It came in a game when fellow former Carlisle United player also Kyle Dempsey scored and was named man of the match.
Dempsey's fellow Cumbrian, goalkeeper James Trafford, kept a clean sheet in Bolton's emphatic win.
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