By Daily Mail Reporter PUBLISHED: 23:59 EST, 27 February 2014 | UPDATED: 08:52 EST, 28 February 2014 Researchers conducting a scan on the brain of a deceased soccer player have detected signs of a brain trauma disease believed to be caused by repeated blows to the head. The test results mark the first time that Chronic Traumatic Encephalopahty (CTE) has been linked to the game of soccer, which until now has been considered safer than contacts sports like football or hockey. Patrick Grange, of New Mexico, died at age 29 from complications associated with his ALS, better known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
@highlight
Brain scan showed Patrick Grange, 29, had Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy
@highlight
Degenerative condition is linked to repeated concussions and is more often seen in contact sports like football
@highlight
Grange, who started heading balls at age 3, died from ALS a year and a half after his diagnosis
@highlight
In December, Ryan Freel became first baseball player to be diagnosed with CTE; he killed himself at age 36
Researchers have suggested that repeated hits to the head may have caused @placeholder to develop CTE and resulted in an ALS diagnosis at age 27 - even though most people who suffer from the illness are between 40-70 years old.