Chris Hughton, the former Brighton and Newcastle United manager, has announced that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in April last year. The 67-year-old former Tottenham defender said the cancer was detected early, and he underwent successful surgery in May.
"The news certainly didn't scare me," Hughton told the Daily Mail. "I know everyone is different, but my first impression was 'I'll be fine'. I didn't instantly think 'this is probably just going to kill me'. I just thought, 'OK, we'll have to do what we have to do'."
Hughton enjoyed a distinguished playing career as a full-back, making 398 appearances for Tottenham Hotspur and winning the UEFA Cup and two FA Cups in the early 1980s. He also earned 53 caps for the Republic of Ireland before moving into management.
As a manager, Hughton led both Newcastle United and Brighton & Hove Albion to promotion to the Premier League. He also managed Birmingham City, Norwich City, Nottingham Forest, and most recently the Ghana national team.
Reflecting on his treatment, Hughton said: "I had very good advice and all the treatment options were given to me, and I decided to have my prostate removed. The recovery has gone really well. I'm one year post-operation and I feel good. It's all gone very well. I've got a lot of energy."
Laura Kerby, chief executive of Prostate Cancer UK, praised Hughton for sharing his story: "Chris' story is ultimately a positive one. But it's also a timely reminder of the dangers of prostate cancer and we thank him for sharing his story in the football community, and helping men. Prostate cancer is now the most common cancer in the UK, and it's still the only major cancer without a screening programme. It doesn't give you signs or symptoms in its earlier stages when it's more treatable, so awareness is everything."