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Joe Thompson’s family Chantelle, Lula and Athena are preparing to mark the one year anniversary of his death from cancer. Granada Reports Sports Correspondent Mike Hall spoke to the family exclusively.
The family of footballing hero Joe Thompson are continuing his legacy after his wife Chantelle revealed she is pregnant with his baby after IVF treatment using frozen embryos.
Joe Thompson died in 2025 after developing cancer for a third time – beating the illness twice to return to the pitch and famously scoring a goal that saved Rochdale FC from relegation in 2018.
But when the former Manchester United, Tranmere Rovers and Rochdale star was diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma for a third time, which had spread to his lungs, he turned to fundraising, before he died aged 36.
“It just means absolutely everything. I know it’s never going to replace Joe obviously. Joe’s Joe. But to be able to bring his baby into the world again is beautiful,” Chantelle said.
She said Joe had two visions of their family with a baby boy before he died.
Joe Thompson has two daughters Athena and Lula. Credit: Family photo
“He actually had a vision of us sat outside with a baby boy. This was maybe six months before he passed, and he assumed that it was all of us.
“And then maybe two weeks before he passed, we were just sat in the garden and he just had a realisation and was like, ‘I think I was watching you with the baby and the girls in the garden, not me physically here with you’,” Chantelle added.
Joe even gave her the name for the baby boy he predicted, and she got pregnant on her first attempt of IVF after he had died.
But, the mum-to-be does not yet know the gender of their baby, and has an email with the answer sitting unopened on her computer.
She will join her and Joe’s families in a small gathering to find out if he was right. “I hope so because I’ve only got a boy’s name,” said Chantelle.
Chantelle posted her pregnancy announcement on Instagram. Credit: Family photo
Chantelle is 25 weeks pregnant, and says she was sat with her daughters in Bali when she found out she would be having another baby.
Their daughter Lula said: “When it had two lines I was in shock, my brain went completely blank.
“I was happy but I was just so surprised.”
Joe and Chantelle had lost their baby Dre who sadly died just three days before he was due.
Chantelle spoke about Dre as she said: “It means absolutely everything, and to be blessed for it to work first time.
“We’d gone through IVF for three years trying to get pregnant with baby Dre.
“But I just knew, I knew the timing was right, I knew Joe’s messages were right.”
Joe Thompson walked 21 miles in 2024 from Old Trafford to Rochdale FC. Credit: ITV News
Before they welcome the new arrival, there will be another celebration of Joe’s life.
On 2 May, friends and fans will repeat his 2024 fundraising walk – starting at Rochdale and ending at Manchester United.
“It’s just something we want to do annually, just to celebrate Joe and remember Joe, because life does go on for everyone else as well, and I think for us it’s important that we can continue the work he did when he was here, and keep that alive,” said Chantelle.
It will be one year on from Joe’s death on 17 April, and Chantelle say she is feeling apprehensive ahead of the day.
She said: “I try to see the positive in things. Don’t get me wrong, there is times where I do think ‘Why us? Why have the girls not their dad? Why have we gone through this?’
“…You’ve got to also allow yourself to be sad, but then also try and think of the positives, and what a guy he was, and all the memories that we had together, and the 13 years I’ve had with him.”
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