Visit of man with MND 'inspirational' for Canaries

TL;DR

Norwich City welcomed supporter Jonny Butcher, diagnosed with motor neurone disease, to their training ground. His story, shared by his wife on social media, inspired the club's boss, Philippe Clement.

Key points

Jonny Butcher diagnosed with motor neurone disease at 28
Has been a Norwich City supporter since age five
Philippe Clement called the visit 'inspirational'
Visit was not seen as a PR exercise by the club
Butcher has held a season ticket since 2003

Mentioned in this story

Jonny ButcherNorwich CityPhilippe Clement

Norwich City has welcomed a supporter who was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) at the age of 28 behind the scenes at its training ground.

Jonny Butcher has been watching City games with his father since he was five years old and has had a season ticket since 2003.

His story caught the attention of the club after it was posted by his wife on social media, and Canaries boss Philippe Clement called the visit "inspirational".

He said: "What I absolutely loved was it didn't just feel like a PR exercise, it felt like they really cared and that's what made it special."

Since his diagnosis in February, Butcher said people had rallied round and "done so much for us".

The post was on wife Ana's Instagram reached more than 600,000 views.

Last week, he was given a behind-the-scenes tour at the Championship club's training ground in Colney.

Speaking to Rob Butler and Chris Reeve on BBC Radio Norfolk, he said: "We got to watch a training session and had the full tour and lunch with the first team lads and their coaching staff."

He received a signed pair of gloves from goalkeeper Vladan Kovacevic and was invited to watch Tuesday's match against Derby County at Carrow Road.

Butcher is due to meet former Norwich star Darren Huckerby , who he said was "my hero... my number one".

"The first year I got a season ticket was 2003-04... I always loved watching him play," he said.

Canaries head coach Philippe Clement said: "He is a lover of the club. You can see it in his eyes so we were really happy we could give him a good moment... it makes you really humble and grateful of the life we have because without this, the most important thing is to have good health in this life.

"He's been a lifelong fan for 22 years — I have to say he was inspirational for the team."

MND is a condition which causes muscle weakness that gets worse over time.

There is no cure and, while it affects adults of any age, it usually affects people over the age of 50, according to the NHS.

Butcher added: "We always say Norwich City is a family club, but what does that really mean? It was so special and you could tell they really cared and I'm sure they would do that for so many other people, not just me — it was an incredible experience.

Q&A

Who is Jonny Butcher and what is his connection to Norwich City?

Jonny Butcher is a long-time Norwich City supporter diagnosed with motor neurone disease, who has held a season ticket since 2003.

What did Philippe Clement say about Jonny Butcher's visit?

Philippe Clement described Jonny Butcher's visit as 'inspirational' and noted that it felt genuine rather than just a PR exercise.

How did Jonny Butcher's story gain attention from Norwich City?

Jonny Butcher's story gained attention after his wife posted about it on social media, prompting the club to invite him for a visit.