);background-size:Infinity% auto;transform:scaleX(0%);transform-origin:left;transition:transform 0.1s, height 0.4s, opacity 0.4s;z-index:999999;>
To mark World Diabetes Day, we revisiting a chat with Everton defender Jake O’Brien, who sat down to discuss his experiences with the condition.
A Republic of Ireland international, O'Brien also covered a wide range of topics including his journey into professional football and an impressive sporting background.
O’Brien was diagnosed with type one diabetes aged 16 – and recalling that time, he explained: “There were a few weeks when I was ill. I was losing a lot of weight and was very tired. I was drinking eight or nine litres of water a day.
“I realised something wasn’t right. I went to the doctor’s and they sent me up to hospital and diagnosed me with it. My pancreas, basically, doesn’t work; it doesn’t produce insulin.
"It’s a genetic thing, I suppose, but in that sense, no one in my family has ever had it."
Watch the full feature below, or **[click here to be redirected to YouTube](https://youtu.be/FvX1VsFe4kg).**