Lewis Moody watched with pride as his 17-year-old son Dylan saved a penalty for England’s Under-18 side, just days after the former rugby star revealed he had been diagnosed with motor neurone disease.
The 47-year-old World Cup winner, who captained England during an illustrious rugby career, shared his heartbreaking diagnosis earlier this week in an emotional interview with the BBC.
Sitting alongside his wife Annie, Moody broke down as he confirmed that tests had revealed the early stages of MND, a condition that affects the brain and nerves and has no known cure.
Yet only days later, Moody was back on the sidelines, watching his son make his mark for England’s youth football team in a proud moment for the entire family.
Dylan, a promising goalkeeper who signed his first professional contract with Southampton in July, came off the bench during England’s 1–0 victory over France at St George’s Park on Thursday.
The teenager replaced Aston Villa’s Owen Asemota midway through the second half and kept a clean sheet as Matthew Upson’s son, Elijah, scored a dramatic 96th-minute winner.
Also in the team was Reigan Heskey, son of former England striker Emile Heskey, in what proved to be a memorable evening for the young Lions preparing for next month’s Under-17 World Cup.
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Lewis Moody watched with pride as his 17-year-old son Dylan saved a penalty for England’s Under-18 side, just days after the former rugby star revealed he had been diagnosed with motor neurone disease
|Following the game, the teams participated in a practice penalty shootout, where Dylan delivered the highlight of the night for his father by diving to his left to produce an outstanding save.
Moody shared his pride on Instagram, posting a video of the moment with the caption: “Great night watching this rather large legend.”
In a second post, he uploaded a photograph of the two of them smiling together at St George’s Park, with Dylan still wearing his green goalkeeper kit.
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Lewis Moody revealed his motor neurone disease diagnosis earlier this week
|BBC
“Wonderful night at St George’s Park watching England U18 and this little warrior @dylanmoody.1,” he wrote.
The heartwarming posts drew widespread admiration from fellow athletes and fans.
Television presenter Gabby Logan responded with praise emojis, while England cricketer Jonny Bairstow simply commented, “Special.”
Since going public with his diagnosis, Moody has received an outpouring of support from across the sporting world.
The former Leicester Tigers flanker, who won 71 England caps and was a key member of the 2003 World Cup-winning squad, said he and Annie had told their sons about his condition in a moment of shared emotion.
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Lewis Moody was part of the 2003 World Cup-winning side and played for Leicester Tigers and Bath Rugby | GETTY“We sat on the couch in tears, Ethan and Dylan both wrapped up in each other, then the dog jumped over and started licking the tears off our faces, which was rather silly,” he recalled.
“You’re given this diagnosis of MND and we were rightly quite emotional about it, but it’s so strange because I feel like nothing’s wrong.
“I don’t feel ill or unwell. My symptoms are very minor. I have a bit of muscle wasting in the hand and the shoulder. I’m still capable of doing anything and everything. And hopefully that will continue for as long as possible.”
Moody’s bravery and optimism have been widely praised since the interview aired, with many highlighting his resilience and enduring positivity.