Ex-Sunderland youth product Simon Ramsden is set to take on a gruelling 37-hour workout challenge without sleep in honour of former team-mate Joe Thompson, who sadly passed away earlier this year.

Ramsden, who played alongside Thompson at Rochdale for six years, will lead back-to-back fitness classes in Sunderland from June 27 to June 29 to raise funds for Thompson’s family. The fundraiser, hosted on JustGiving, aims to raise £3,000.

Thompson, a former Manchester United academy graduate, died in April at the age of 36 following his third battle with lymphoma – a form of blood cancer. He is survived by his wife Chantelle and daughters Thailula and Athena Rae.