Sheffield Wednesday have sent a message of support to former player Petter Rudy after manager Molde announced that the 52-year-old former midfielder has been diagnosed with motor neurone disease.
Petter Rudy spent three years at Sheffield Wednesday (Image: Shaun Botterill/Allsport/Getty Images)
Former Sheffield Wednesday star Petter Rudy has been diagnosed with motor neurone disease. The former midfielder’s current club, Norwegian club Molde, released a statement announcing the sad news.
Rudy, 52, played in 89 games for Wednesday from 1997 to 2000, scoring 10 goals. He has also played for Belgium’s Ghent, Lokeren and Beerschot, Austria’s Austria Wien and his boyhood club Molde, the news of which was announced on Monday.
“We at Molde Football Club are deeply affected by the fact that Petter Rudy, former midfielder for Molde and the Norwegian national team and current scout at the club, is suffering from ALS, a serious muscle disease,” the club said in a statement.
“Everyone at Sheffield Wednesday sends our love and support to former player Petter Rudy and his family who have been diagnosed with ALS,” the Owls wrote.
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ALS is amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, the most common type of motor neuron disease (MND). There is no cure for the disease, which destroys motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord.
“This is a very sad message that deeply affects us,” said Molde CEO Vegard Strvik. “Petter has been working at this club for many years. He is close to us in our daily life and is passionate about the football strategy we are currently building at Molde Football Club.
“I have had many enjoyable conversations with Petter and it has been impressive to experience both his openness and the strength he shows in the face of such serious situations.
“At the same time, I feel great humility and gratitude that, despite the difficult circumstances, he feels it is meaningful and wants to contribute and be an important part of the daily life of Molde Football Club.
Petter Rudy scored 10 goals for Sheffield Wednesday (Image: Laurence Griffiths/Allsport/Getty Images)
“At Molde Football Club, we often talk about ‘we’ and now it means more than ever. The MFK family is a big WE, a community that supports us when life is most difficult. Now is the time to surround one of our greatest profiles – Petter – with compassion, strength and warmth.”
“The dedication, loyalty and pride he gave to football and the club throughout his life is something we have all had the opportunity to share in, and now it is our turn to give something back in the form of support, care, unity and belonging.”
Rudy played 46 games for Norway between 1995 and 2006, scoring three goals. With Molde he won the Norwegian Cup twice and with Vienna he won the Austrian Bundesliga.
The midfielder was signed by David Pleat and Sheffield Wednesday in 1997 and spent three years with the Yorkshire side during their Premier League spell, also playing under manager Ron Atkinson.
