Celebrated Scottish footballer and Rangers legend, Ally McCoist remains a cherished figure in the sporting world despite retiring from playing years ago. After a distinguished career with Rangers FC, where he became the club’s all-time top scorer, McCoist transitioned into broadcasting—much like many other footballers including Gary Lineker who makes a fortune.
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His excellence and insight into the game have made him one of the best pundits in the sporting industry. With major networks like ITV, BBC and talkSport behind him, he’s doing what he loves even at 62. However, not everything is rainbow and roses for the former Rangers star as he recently revealed the incurable illness he has been suffering from for years.
Ally McCoist reveals he suffers from Dupuytren's contracture
Speaking on Talk Sport Breakfast, McCoist revealed that an incurable condition has affected him for several years. He explained that he has Dupuytren's contracture—a condition that causes the fingers to bend inward towards the palm, making it harder to perform simple tasks. McCoist said:
I have got Dupuytren's. It's a hereditary thing where your fingers close in.
According to the BBC, he has had two surgeries but the condition has returned both times. He recalled:
The bizarre thing with Dupuytren's is when I went to see the doctor he said 'I will operate on it but it will come back in roughly nine years.’ And I swear to God, nine years later it came back.
Not only is the disease painful, but it also interferes with his daily activities, such as texting, buttoning his shirt, or holding objects with ease. McCoist revealed he inherited the condition from his father. When the doctor asked him if his grandfather had the disease, he said:
I don't know because I never met any of my grandfathers, sadly they passed before I was born.
I said to him 'But my dad had it'. He lifted his head up and said 'You're unlucky because it normally skips a generation.’
I said ‘That's good news because I have got five boys.’
What is Dupuytren’s Contracture?
Dupuytren's contracture, sometimes called the ‘Viking disease,' is a condition that primarily affects the hands, causing the skin in the palm to thicken and tighten. Over time, this leads to a finger, or several fingers, curling inward towards the palm, reports NHS. This deformity can make it difficult to fully extend the hand. The condition often starts with small lumps or nodules in the palm before gradually progressing to cause more significant bending of the fingers.
It is dubbed as Viking disease as it is more common in those from northern Europe, or who are of northern European descent, as per the National Library of Medicine. The exact cause of the disease remains unknown and there’s no cure for it. In some cases, surgery helps to straighten the fingers and provides a temporary relief but the condition returns eventually, as it did for McCoist.
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Sources used:
BBC: Ally McCoist reveals incurable hand condition
NHS: Dupuytren's contracture
National Library of Medicine: The Vikings and Baron Dupuytren's disease
