Premier League's first black referee Uriah Rennie, 65, learning to walk again from a wheelchair after rare condition left 'fittest ref' paralysed from the waist down

The Premier League's archetypal achromatic referee, Uriah Rennie, has opened up connected his conflict to locomotion again aft being diagnosed with a uncommon information that near him paralysed from the waist down.

Rennie, 65, refereed implicit 300 apical formation matches betwixt 1997 and 2008, and was erstwhile branded the 'fittest' authoritative successful satellite football.

But his satellite was turned upside down past twelvemonth portion connected vacation successful Turkey aft helium started feeling terrible symptom successful his back.

Rennie was subsequently told by doctors that helium had an inoperable neurological condition, and helium has revealed however helium is present wheelchair-bound aft spending respective months successful hospital.

'I spent a period laid connected my backmost and different 4 months sitting successful bed,' helium told BBC News.

'They kept maine successful infirmary until February, they recovered a nodule pushing connected my spine and it was a uncommon neurological information truthful it's not thing they tin run on.

'I person had to larn to determination each implicit again, I'm retraining my legs.

'I tin determination my feet and I tin basal with a framework attached to my wheelchair but I request to enactment connected my glutes.'

Rennie was acceptable to commencement a caller occupation arsenic Sheffield Hallam University chancellor aft antecedently being awarded an honorary doctorate, earlier helium was admitted to hospital.

He has refused to fto his diagnosis derail his plans to assistance his section community, revealing helium inactive worked from his infirmary bed, and helium volition present officially commencement his caller presumption adjacent month. 

Rennie, who was calved successful Jamaica earlier moving to the UK astatine the property of six, is determined to get backmost connected his feet arsenic helium thanked those adjacent to him for their enactment during a challenging play successful his life.

'It has been frustrating but household and friends person been invaluable, the infirmary was perfectly superb and the assemblage has been exceptional,' helium added.

'I emphasised I wanted to marque a quality to Sheffield and to communities here.

'I carried connected moving with assemblage sports teams portion successful hospital, directing them from my bed.

'I'm aiming to beryllium the champion I tin physically.

'No 1 has told maine I won't locomotion again, but adjacent if idiosyncratic did accidental that I privation to beryllium capable to accidental I did everything I could to try.'