'The worst thing I did was hide it for so long' - footballer Jack Fitzwater on living with colitis

Jack Fitzwater tells ITV News West Country's Ross Arnott about his ulcerative colitis diagnosis and why he hid it for so long.

An Exeter City footballer has said that opening up about his recent ulcerative colitis diagnosis has helped him come to terms with his condition.

Jack Fitzwater, who is 26, is living with ulcerative colitis, a condition which affects your digestive system and bowels.

The footballer says that at its worst, he was forced to go to the toilet more than 30 times a day and even considered retirement.

Jack Fitzwater said he considered retirement when his condition was at its worst.

Jack told ITV News West Country he initially hid his symptoms from his teammates, friends and family, because he didn't want it to be seen as a "weakness".

He said: "I think it was just an uncomfortable subject - until you start speaking about it.

"I was probably hiding it from people in football. I didn't want it to be seen as 'he won't play today because he's got this' or that kind of thing."

Jack Fitzwater says his career has turned around for the better since he opened up about his diagnosis.

Jack is one of around 300,000 people affected by ulcerative colitis in the UK, but said he'd never heard of the condition before being diagnosed.

The main symptoms include recurring diarrhoea, as well as stomach pain and needing to go to the toilet regularly.

At its worst, Jack said he was forced to go to the bathroom more than 30 times a day.

"I was waking up, toilet. Middle of the night, toilet. General moodiness and fatigue," he said.

"I went to Ibiza with my family and it was just constantly going to the toilet. I didn't want to wake up my girlfriend or it be awkward in and around the hotel - so I'd be getting up at 3 or 4am."

He said there were times when he thought about retiring as a footballer, but "the worst thing (he) probably did was hide it for so long."

"I was thinking there's no chance I can train or play. It's a nightmare. There were definitely times when I thought 'I might have to give this up' last summer," he explained.

"The best thing I did was tell people about my diagnosis. Now it's out in the open, I'm training well, I'm playing well, I'm back in the team," he added.