Former Ipswich, Bristol Rovers, Huddersfield and Sunderland striker Marcus Stewart has been diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND).
The 49-year-old, who also played for Exeter and Bristol City, is now head of player development at Yeovil, another of his former clubs.
Stewart played in all top four tiers in England, with 254 goals in 783 games.
He scored 19 goals in the Premier League in the 2000-01 season as Ipswich finished fifth and made the Uefa Cup.
"As I take the time to adjust, my intention is to continue to enjoy my work in football and spend time with my family," Stewart said in a statement issued jointly by Yeovil and the Professional Footballers' Association.