Former Blackpool defender Nick Anderton diagnosed with rare form of bone cancer

The 26-year-old released a statement via his Twitter page confirming the news, revealing he will also require surgery to remove part of the bone.

The left-back, who now plays his football for League One side Bristol Rovers, played for the Seasiders between 2017 and 2020 after making the move from Barrow.

"Unfortunately, this rare form of cancer which is affecting my femur means that I’ll be undergoing an operation in the coming weeks,” Anderton said.

"This diagnosis has come as a huge shock to both myself and my family; however, we are remaining positive and hopeful.

"I want to thank everyone at Bristol Rovers, especially club doctor Ian Ferguson and head of medical Stuart Leake, the specialists at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital in Birmingham and my family for their continued support.

“I want to wish the boys all the best for the upcoming season, starting this Saturday back at The Mem. Hopefully I can be swinging off another traffic light on Gloucester Road come May!!”

For more information about bone sarcomas please visit the Bone Cancer Research Trust website here.