Luton Town's Liam Walsh has thanked his club and fans for their outpouring of support after he and his partner recently disclosed they had lost their baby through miscarriage.
Aston Villa and England midfielder Missy Bo Kearns revealed the news in a social media post in March, having previously announced she was pregnant.
An emotional Walsh said they had taken the joint decision to speak publicly about their loss - ahead of The Hatters trip to Wembley Stadium on Sunday - to help other people going through similar situations.
Walsh also praised the club for its help, saying: "The manager's been with me every step of the way, and Missy says every day how much he's done for us."
Speaking to BBC Three Counties Radio presenter Justin Dealey, the 28-year-old said he wanted anyone suffering the loss of a baby in pregnancy to also feel well supported and added that it was an important matter to be open about.
"The pain is just obviously unexplainable so we want to get a message out there [about] how to support people," said Walsh.
"You never know what some people are going through, so I think... people close to you, just always checking up and being supportive... that's the right way to go about life.
"I've had all the support in the world from my club and so has Missy."
Walsh said he had also been overwhelmed by fans' emails and messages sent to the League One club, which had been passed on to him.
"You get emotional reading it, and it's someone that I've never met," he added.
