Dominic Matteo communicates with Leeds United’s players via WhatsApp voice notes. The brain tumour discovered in 2019 has left him unable to read or write.
But the 48-year-old, captain when the club were last relegated from the Premier League in 2004, is more than capable of getting his message across ahead of Sunday's date with destiny at Brentford.
‘I still remember coming off the pitch the day we went down and I can see the young lad’s face - he’s probably 20-odd now - crying his eyes out,’ Matteo tells Sportsmail.