What is Chris Kamara's health condition, has he recovered and why did he apologise to his wife?

The former player and pundit, who became universally adored during his stint at Sky Sports, has been largely absent from our TV screens for the past few years after a health condition affected his speech.

Kamara, who has since made cameo appearances on telly, has given a candid interview about his journey since being diagnosed, and revealed he was feeling particularly low as the Covid-19 lockdowns began. The 67-year-old, affectionately known as Kammy, played for the likes of Portsmouth, Swindon Town and Leeds United during a career that spanned 20 years.

Now, the former midfielder has apologised to his wife, Anne, admitting he should have opened up to her about his mental state much sooner.

He said: “I kept thinking, for over 18 months, that it would go away. I just kept thinking one day I'll wake up and I'll be back to the person I was.

“But I have accepted the way I speak now. That's because of the work on my mental health. My therapist told me that the day you accept your condition is the day you will start getting better, and that is what happened. I can be my own worst critic but my speech has improved and I'm fine with how I sound.

“I should have talked to my wife Anne, for which I have apologised to her. I didn't tell my wife what was going on. My family would have supported me rather than somebody I didn't know, Anne, and my sons would have helped me in the first place.”

What is Chris Kamara’s condition?

After first being misdiagnosed in April 2021 with an underactive thyroid, the following year Kamara was diagnosed with apraxia. Speech apraxia is a condition that prevents a person from planning and co-ordinating their speech. The result is that the brain struggles to send information to the mouth and tongue to create sounds, leading to slower, more deliberate-sounding speech.

This is typically caused by either a stroke or brain injury, and can be associated with other speech disorders, according to the NHS. Intelligence and brain capacity are not affected by the condition - it just makes it more difficult to get words out.

Kamara had been worried that he was instead suffering from Alzheimer’s or dementia when his speech problems began.

Has Kamara recovered from his condition?

Since his diagnosis, Kamara has been undergoing speech therapy. He said: “I was totally embarrassed by my apraxia. But once I got over it, which I have now, I realise your voice doesn't define who you are.

“I'm sorry to anyone who has a speech condition that I felt that way for so long.”

His handful of TV appearances in recent months have shown that, while still talking slower than most people, he has made significant strides compared to where he was a few years ago.

It is possible to make a full recovery from apraxia, with the exception of children who are diagnosed.