Muhammad Ali is 'a prisoner in his own body' says the man who knew him best

Manager Gene Kilroy says Ali is a ghost of the man he once was, saying "He can just about walk and his speech is slurred"

     To a whole generation Muhammad Ali was not        only the greatest boxer on Earth, but also a           superhuman athlete with a brilliant mind who         stood up to authority.

But after living with Parkinson’s disease for more than three decades, 73-year-old Ali is “a prisoner in his own body”, according to the man who knows him best.

His manager Gene Kilroy says Ali is a ghost of the fearsome fighter he once was, adding: “It’s hard seeing him as he is today. He can just about walk and his speech is slurred. It takes huge effort for him to make the simplest communication now, but when he does, every word is worthwhile.

“But even now he has no fear. He says, ‘I’ll stay here as long as God wants me to. When my time comes I’ll have no regrets. I have achieved a lot’.”