A two-and-a-half-hour pep talk from tennis superstar Venus Williams got Stephen McPhail back on track when he struggled to get out of bed due to his autoimmune disease.

I am 55-years-old. I had my last full period in Jul 2011. Since then I had the slightest staining around Christmas, which was just once-off.

Venus Williams gave a bold performance on the opening day of Wimbledon but unfortunately for the American it came in the press conference room rather than on court.

Five-time champion Venus Williams today lost in the opening round at Wimbledon for the first time since the year she made her debut at the tournament.

CARDIFF CITY boss Malky Mackay insisted the club’s Irish midfielder Stephen McPhail is “fit and well” but revealed that the 31-year-old is currently being investigated for side-effects from the treatment of a condition known as Sjogren’s Syndrome.