A doctor who treated Rob Burrow says a special Coronation Street episode dedicated

to the rugby league legend has “given a voice” to those with motor neurone disease (MND).

Friday’s episode of the ITV soap will follow a day in the life of character Paul Foreman –

who suffers with MND – and his husband Billy Mayhew.

It comes almost eight weeks after former Leeds Rhinos player Burrow died aged 41, after a long battle with the degenerative disease.

Burrow’s former doctor told ITV News the MND storyline had made her patients feel represented and given them a voice.

Dr Agam Jung said: “This is hugely important for our patients across the country and even the world.

“It has raised awareness and people will be more mindful about their interactions with patients with MND.”

Dr Jung also said the episode would teach people the early warning signs of MND, which could prompt earlier diagnoses.

She is leading a project to build an MND care centre in Leeds in Burrow’s name – which is now just £500,000 away from reaching its £6.8 million target.

The centre will support people suffering with the disease, as well as their family members.

Dr Jung added: “I think it’s really touching that they’ve dedicated this episode to Rob, and rightly so because he did so much to raise awareness of the disease.”

Daniel Brocklebank, who plays Billy, lost his grandfather to MND and is now an ambassador for the charity MND Association.

He said: “There were times I burst into tears on set during the filming of this episode.

“There was one day I got in the car after work, and I just wept.”

Viewers will be able to hear Paul’s innermost thoughts, in a voiceover, after he wakes from a dream to discover his speech has drastically deteriorated.

Peter Ash, who plays Paul, said: “I feel incredibly proud to have worked on this episode.

“From the moment I read the script I knew it was going to be something really special – mostly because I couldn’t stop crying.

“I loved being able to record Paul’s inner thoughts, showing us the mind is still 100%, even with MND.”

Producer Verity MacLeod added: “Paul’s MND has been such an important, powerful story and this episode is one of the real pinnacle moments in his journey.

“Coronation Street has never done anything like this before, it is extraordinary, heartbreaking, funny and beautiful. Must see television at its best.”

She said that they were keen to show that while people with MND may lose their speech, it doesn’t mean their personality has changed.

MacLeod continued: “He still has a wicked sense of humour and is the quick witted cheeky chappy we first met in 2018.”