My Story: O’Brien's Diabetes Diagnosis & Journey Into Football

To mark World Diabetes Day, we revisiting a chat with Everton defender Jake O’Brien, who sat down to discuss his experiences with the condition.

A Republic of Ireland international, O'Brien also covered a wide range of topics including his journey into professional football and an impressive sporting background.

O’Brien was diagnosed with type one diabetes aged 16 – and recalling that time, he explained: “There were a few weeks when I was ill. I was losing a lot of weight and was very tired. I was drinking eight or nine litres of water a day.

“I realised something wasn’t right. I went to the doctor’s and they sent me up to hospital and diagnosed me with it. My pancreas, basically, doesn’t work; it doesn’t produce insulin.

"It’s a genetic thing, I suppose, but in that sense, no one in my family has ever had it."

Watch the full feature below, or click here to be redirected to YouTube.