Steve Thompson health: Rugby star on first signs of early-onset dementia - 'I broke down'

From anxiety to irritation, the person can experience a variety of emotions, the Alzheimer’s Society explains.

However, Mr Thompson only sought help once his rugby friend Alix Popham, who’s also diagnosed with an early-onset dementia, phoned him, saying to get checked.

He was also going through memory loss and emotional changes. “I was thinking, he’s just explaining what I’m like at the moment,” said Mr Thompson.

After this phone call, the rugby player spoke to his wife, Steph, who agreed with the suggestion. “She explains it like the light has gone out in me a little bit…which is quite hard to hear,” he noted.