One unusual symptom that football pundit suffered before incurable disease diagnoses

Football icon and TV pundit Ally McCoist experienced an unusual symptom before being diagnosed with an incurable hand disease.

The former Scotland international, who has worked for the likes of TNT Sports, Sky Sports, talkSPORT and ITV over the years, announced on his radio show earlier this week that he has a condition called Dupuytren's contracture, a genetic disorder that causes a person's fingers to bend towards their palm.

McCoist says he's had operations to straighten his fingers, but the issue hasn't been fixed. Speaking on talkSPORT Breakfast, the 62-year-old shared his experience, telling listeners: "It's a hereditary thing where your fingers close in.

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"I have had them [operations] done twice. I went to see the doctor and he said to me, 'Did your grandfather have it?' I said, 'I don't know' because I never met any of my grandfathers, sadly they passed before I was born. My wee mum had it as well. My mum had it, my dad had it, it's a hereditary thing.

"I said to him, 'But my dad had it'. He lifted his head up and said, 'You're unlucky because it normally skips a generation'. I said, 'That's good news because I have got five boys'."

He continued: "The bizarre thing with Dupuytren's is when I went to see the doctor he said, 'I will operate on it but it will come back in roughly nine years'. And I swear to God nine years later it came back."

The condition, which affects the skin and muscle in the palm of the hand, causing it to thicken and become less flexible, can often be painful. McCoist admitted that it was beginning to impact his daily life, and that sometimes it takes him five minutes to send a text.

"I have seen myself sending a text message which takes me five minutes to text with one finger when I should just dial the number," he said.

Around two million people in the UK are estimated to have Dupuytren's contracture, which worsens with age and is yet to have a definitive cure. Other well known people who suffered with the condition include former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and actor Bill Nighy.

The condition has also been called "the Viking disease" as it's most commonly found in individuals from northern Europe, or of northern European descent. Primarily, it affects the ring and little fingers, typically in both hands. In most cases it's painless, but sufferers can experience discomfort as the condition worsens over time.

News of McCoist's condition was met with an outpouring of public sympathy. The Scot, who spent over a decade as a team captain on the BBC's A Question of Sport programme, is one of the most beloved figures in British football, having spent the best part of 30 years in the media after hanging up his boots.

He played nearly 600 times for Rangers and scored 355 goals - more than anyone else in the club's history. The former striker also played for Sunderland, Kilmarnock and St Johnstone, and earned 61 caps for Scotland.

He also managed Rangers between 2011 and 2014. He very nearly won the Scottish Premier League title in his first season, but the 'Gers ended up finishing second behind Celtic after being docked 10 points for entering administration.

The situation worsened when they were placed into the Scottish Third Division that summer as a result of their poor financial state. McCoist stayed on, and led the team to back-to-back promotions before leaving mid-way through the 2014/15 season while the club were pushing for promotion in the Scottish Championship.