Ella Toone recently shared an emotional tribute to her father, Nick, who passed away from cancer just days before his 60th birthday in September.

In a candid and heartfelt letter to her fans, Toone opened up about the difficult journey of grief, acknowledging that she is still processing the loss but felt compelled to share her story.

She wrote the tribute not only for herself but also for anyone going through a similar experience of loss and isolation.

Struggling with the Pain

The Manchester United star and England international admitted in her letter that the pain is still very much raw.

“For the past few months, I’ve been trying to figure it all out, trying to get unstuck,” she said.

“It’s still raw. I still feel the pain digging in, the gutting feeling of not having him here anymore.”

Toone reflected on how challenging it has been to cope, yet she found the strength to write this open letter as part of her healing process.

A Battle Hidden from View

The 25-year-old forward revealed that her father’s battle with prostate cancer began soon after England’s victorious Euros 2022 campaign.

“He said the day after we won the Euros, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer,” Toone shared.

Despite the severity of the illness, Nick kept it a secret from his family for an entire year, only revealing the truth when the cancer returned.

She also mentioned how her father downplayed the situation, refusing to show how serious it was, leaving Toone feeling helpless as she tried to understand the extent of the illness.

Early Memories of Football

Toone’s relationship with football was deeply influenced by her father, who sparked her love for the game.

She reminisced about her early years when her dad would reward her with £10 for every goal she scored.

“My first game, he told me, ‘Every goal you score, I’ll give you a tenner,’” Toone recalled with a smile.

“Being competitive, I was absolutely buzzing. I had to win everything—still like this.”

This playful competition led to Toone scoring a remarkable 10 goals in one match, much to her father’s surprise.

The prize money, she joked, “went down a bit after that!”

Support from Teammates

Toone found comfort and strength through her teammates on the England women’s national team, especially Beth Mead and Rachel Daly, both of whom have also suffered the loss of a parent.

She expressed gratitude for their guidance and support during this challenging time.

“They’ve helped me, massively,” Toone said.

“I hope that in the future, I can do the same for people in my life who might be going through the same thing.”

Toone now looks up to them as sources of inspiration, and they have become role models for how to continue playing the sport they love while coping with such personal tragedies.

This article was published on TDPel Media. Thanks for reading!

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