Former footballer Joe Thompson has revealed he has been diagnosed with cancer for the third time.

The former Rochdale midfielder was first diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2013, from which he recovered. cancer Returning after four years.

The 35-year-old subsequently recovered for a second time and returned to action in 2017, scoring a vital goal to help his side stay in the First Division.

But after “pushing his body to the limit,” Thompson was forced to hang up his boots in 2019 and played only one game throughout the season.

He made 225 appearances in his career, mostly at Rochdale but also played for Tranmere Rovers, Carlisle United and Manchester Unitedyouth training academy.

Now, he has revealed he has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of the same cancer, which has reached stage four and has spread to his lungs.

He announced his latest diagnosis on

The first tumor he discovered was in his neck, where he discovered it while bathing his young daughter.

Four years later, another tumor was discovered next to his heart. He was playing regular football at the time and said the discovery caught him “completely off guard”.

He said: “I was playing football, flying and feeling healthy and the scan showed it.”

Mr Thompson said talking about his diagnosis had been helping him cope with the news.

He told MUTV: “I know the support of the club. My family are crucial in my life and they are constantly helping me now.”

“I feel like once I get the word out and get it off my chest, I don’t feel choked up like I used to. Obviously, bringing it to a football audience, I’m hoping to get support because it’s happened more than once before , but twice before.

“Raising awareness is key. We know cancer is on the rise around the world, but for me, because this is the third time, I really want to get to the root cause.”

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According to Cancer Research UK, nearly one in two people in the UK will develop cancer in their lifetime.

Mr Thompson, who worked at Manchester United’s youth academy in the late 1990s and early 2000s, said regular check-ups could increase the chances of catching the disease early.

He added: “I’ve always said it’s important to have these checks and do them in person and get a feel for your surroundings.”

Mr Thompson said his cancer had been “progressively progressive” but had improved in recent weeks.

He added: “It has gotten into my lungs so my breathing is affected, my sleep is affected. My speech. But in the last three or four weeks it has gotten better.”

“I wouldn’t have been able to do this interview with you three or four weeks ago. I was coughing a lot, I was short of breath and I was breathless when I talked.”