Rugby League legend Garry Schofield, 59, reveals he has had his eye removed and retires from sport after suffering brain damage that will lead to dementia

Rugby League legend Garry Schofield has revealed he has a serious brain condition that will lead to dementia.

The 59-year-old pundit is a member of the Rugby League Hall of Fame and is known for playing for both Hull FC and Leeds Rhinos, where he is also part of the club’s version of the recognition.

Schofield, who also played for Balmain Tigers and Doncaster throughout his career, has 46 caps for Great Britain and three for England and turned to coaching when he finished playing.

However, he has now announced that he will step away from the spotlight after receiving his diagnosis about 20 months ago.

He detailed how he was diagnosed with brain damage, and detailed it in his final Total Rugby League column how the problems arose.

Rugby League legend Garry Schofield has revealed he has a serious brain condition that will lead to dementia

The 59-year-old announced he will leave the competition to focus on his health

“I was diagnosed with brain damage in March 2023 and have kept it a closely guarded secret until now,” he wrote. ‘The symptoms, which I will share with you, are terrible.

‘I have been told I will develop dementia, so the time has come for me to leave the game behind and focus on my health.

‘My problems can be traced back to December 2019, when I underwent surgery to repair a detached retina in my left eye. But it was not a success. Five or six days later I felt like my head was going to explode. I needed seven more surgeries and three laser procedures.

‘The eye pressure should be between five and 23 mmHg (millimeters of mercury), but my readings were 82, 79, 78, 68, 67, 58, 44 and 40, which was literally off the chart. The hospital told me to lie on the floor and scream in pain during those measurements.’

He had one of his eyes removed during the process, which the surgeon said was ‘broken’.

Schofield also wrote that he has since suffered from “headaches, migraines, forgetfulness, anxiety and lack of concentration.”

He was a retired vocal expert, but wrote in the column that “you won’t hear or see me interviewed again.”

He also explained how he had an eye removed due to the condition and the circumstances that led to the diagnosis

After revealing he would be leaving the match to focus on his health, he took one final parting shot.

“One reason I’m not sad to end this column is that the sport just doesn’t interest me anymore,” he wrote. “The product on the field is not nearly as entertaining as it should be.

‘And off the field everything is so tidy that if you are not permanently ‘in the know’ and are not 100 percent ‘positive’ about everything, there is no room for you.

‘Balanced critical analysis has been driven out of the English Rugby League by a governing body and clubs simply for the selfish reason that they do not appreciate control.’