A FOOTBALL-mad boy who is bravely battling leukaemia received a letter of support from Sir Alex Ferguson.

Joshua Almond, 10, from Darwen, was forced to stop playing his favourite sport after he was diagnosed with the disease last month.

The Avondale Primary School pupil, who has played from the age of four, had been a member of Preston North End’s academy for the past two years, and also played with Manchester United, Liverpool, Blackburn Rovers and Bolton.

As well as a letter from the former manager, staff from Manchester United have kept in touch with Joshua’s parents to check his progress.

Now, his family have appealed for help to raise money for Ronald McDonald House – a charity which provides accommodation so they can be at Joshua’s bedside while he undergoes treatment in Manchester.

Joshua’s aunt Joanne Almond said the diagnosis had been a bombshell for the family, including mum Marie and dad Gary, who are both sales reps, and siblings Gemma, 27, Michael, 21, Owen, 14, and Grayson, three.

She said: “He had been doing really well at school and with his football.

“Then suddenly after Christmas he started to go downhill. He had no appetite, lost weight and his skin also went a yellowish colour.”

Blood tests at Blackburn Royal Hospital revealed Joshua had acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, the most common type of leukaemia that affects children, caused by white blood cells multiplying out of control.

Joshua was transferred to Manchester Children’s Hospital where he began four weeks of intensive chemotherapy. His family hope he will be able to return home in the next couple of weeks, after which he will face three years of treatment.

Joanne said: “He will be particularly vulnerable if he catches a bug. Any problems and he will be rushed back to the hospital.

“He’s such a lovely lad. It is heart-breaking to see but he is being very brave.”

She said Ronald McDonald House, which opened in Manchester last May, had been a lifeline for the family.

She said: “We’d really like to put something back in.

“They need £500,000 a year through donations to stay open and we’d like to raise at least £2,000.”

Joanne’s daughter Dakota and Joshua’s brother Owen, both 14, will have their heads shaved next month to support the charity, and the family will come up with other ideas.

Stewart Plowes, Joshua’s headteacher, said: “We are all thinking about him and the children are keen to see him again. Anything we can to support the family, we will do.”

Tony Hartley, Blackburn Rovers Academy’s community co-ordinator said: “Joshua was a very enthusiastic young player.

“We wish him all the best.”

Visit www.justgiving.com/ MarieAlmondjosh