Widow of footballer Joe Thompson pregnant with his child after IVF

The widow of a former footballer who died of cancer is now pregnant with his child after a successful round of IVF in what she described as "bittersweet but beautiful news".

Joe Thompson died of Hodgkin's lymphoma in April last year after his third cancer diagnosis in a decade, having twice recovered during a playing career that included three spells at Rochdale AFC.

His widow Chantelle told the BBC she is expecting a baby boy in what had been a "pick up for the whole family" after planning the treatment with Joe before his death.

"It means a lot to me and I am really proud to be carrying his baby," she said.

Chantelle and Joe already had two daughters while he was alive and always planned to have a big family.

She said: "Before Joe passed we had quite a few detailed conversations of what that would look like if Joe wasn't here and we both knew it was something that we wanted to do."

Thompson, who was born in Bath, was first diagnosed with cancer in 2013 at the age of 23 and again in 2017 - before a third diagnosis in 2024 led to his death aged 36 last year.

He started out in Manchester United's academy before playing for various other clubs including Rochdale.

Months before his death, he led hundreds of people on a walk from Old Trafford to Rochdale's ground to raise awareness of cancer treatments.

And on Saturday his wife and daughters repeated that 15-mile trek alongside hundreds of others including Thompson's friends and family to raise funds for the Joe Thompson Foundation.

Chantelle, who is 29 weeks' pregnant, said she was feeling all the happiness that comes with having a baby, "but on the flip side, I am doing this alone".

"I've got a great family network and I wouldn't be able to do this without them, but it's still not Joe," she said.

Her daughter Thailula, 13, said the year since her father's death had been a "rollercoaster".

She and her mum had been "picking each other up" in times of sadness, she said, and she was "so excited" to welcome a baby boy into the family.

"Grief comes in waves", Chantelle said, adding there are milestones like her anniversaries or her daughter's birthdays where she "expected to be broken, but I'm not".

But the grief can hit during seemingly-innocuous interactions like bumping into someone at the shop, she said.

Thompson, who also played for Tranmere Rovers, Bury and Carlisle, was remembered as a "beacon of hope" at his funeral in May last year.

His foundation was established to help people who need support with grief, loss or hardship.