"He was grinning at us through the window" - Chesterfield legend Ernie Moss fights off coronavirus

Chesterfield’s record goalscorer, 70, who has dementia, tested positive for Covid-19 after experiencing a high temperature.

His illness meant that his family could not visit him at his care home for more than two months.

His eldest daughter, Nikki Trueman, who saw him for the first time yesterday, said his smile “filled my heart with joy and love.”

“We saw him through the window which was the first time in more than two months so it was lovely to see him,” Nikki told the DT.

“He looked so well considering what he has been through.

“It has been a harrowing time as I am sure thousands of others have been through the same.

“He looked a lot better and he was all smiley and grinning at us through the window. He has got long hair!

“He was eating his lunch and smiling and reading a Chesterfield programme. He has always got a programme on his knee - always flicking through it.”

His family could not see him while he was ill because he was was unable to get out of bed and sit in the lounge area where they would normally be able see him through the window.

During his battle with coronavirus his family were understandably very worried and Nikki, her sister Sarah and their mum Jenny were ringing the care home twice a day.

“We just felt so helpless,” Nikki said. “My mum was so upset and distraught that we could not go see him.

“The staff are amazing and they are caring for him but with him being so ill we just wanted to be with him as I am sure loads of other people have with their loved ones.”

Last week Jenny and Sarah were able to go see him through the window and on Tuesday Nikki got a phone call from the care home to say he was in the lounge area so she shot down to see him with her husband and two daughters.

“He is a fighter,” Nikki added.

“Hopefully he is one of the lucky ones.”