Geoff Horsfield Striker forced to retire due to testicular cancer

<div id="three-col"> <h1>Geoff Horsfield exclusive: Striker forced to retire due to testicular cancer</h1> <p class="article-date"> <a title="Find all articles published on 9/10/2008 to the Football section" href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/2008/10/09/">
</a> </p> <div class="article-image"> <p class="article-date">Geoff Horsfield</p> </div>

Geoff Horsfield last night revealed he has been forced to retire after being diagnosed with testicular cancer.</p>

The former Fulham, Birmingham and West Brom striker was given the devastating news after discovering a lump in his left testicle and will have surgery next week.</p>

Horsfield, 34, had hoped to earn a contract with Walsall after being released by Sheffield United in the summer, but is now determined to win the biggest battle of his life.</p>

&ldquo;I found a small lump in my left testicle and went to see the doctor at West Brom, who&rsquo;s a good friend of mine,&rdquo; he said.</p>

&ldquo;I was diagnosed last Friday and I&rsquo;m going in for surgery next Thursday. The surgeon has told me that this is the end of my professional career, which is disappointing.</p>

&ldquo;But I&rsquo;ve had 10 good years with Fulham, Birmingham, Wigan, West Brom and all the other clubs I&rsquo;ve played for and enjoyed it.</p>

&ldquo;That&rsquo;s at the back of my mind now. It&rsquo;s just one of those things and I&rsquo;ve come to terms with my career being over.</p>

&ldquo;All I&rsquo;m thinking about now is beating this. I&rsquo;ve always been a fighter right through my football career and I&rsquo;m going to fight this and win.&rdquo;</p>

Horsfield has been told he has a good chance of making a full recovery because he acted so quickly.</p>

&ldquo;The specialist told me I did well to find the lump because it is so small,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;He says I stand a good chance of making a full recovery because we&rsquo;ve got in early.&rdquo;</p> </div>

 

Good luck to him.

Always remember the story of him signing a contract with Fulham. Part of the deal was that Fulham provided Athersley Social FC with new changing rooms at their ground.

Hope everything goes okay for him.

 

Good luck geoff

 

Read this in the paper, best of luck.

 

Good Luck Geoff

Terrible news

 

hope hes ok. Good luck Geoff.

Cant undestand why losing a tessie means the end of your footballing career though??? Is it cos hes at the end of his career and by the time hes recovered it wont be worth it? Look at lance armstrong and what he went through.

 

they normally have a good recovery rate if its caught early Good luck geoff

 

Good luck Geoff Horsfield.

You shoulda played for us.

 

Good Luck Geoff.....

All the best

 

Best of luck Geoff

 

It's the time factor...

....he'll have surgery and chemo, the recovery time is 6 months to a year at best before he can start proper training again. Is he 36? That means 37/38 by the time he's back and available. Whilst at Celtic Stubbs had a year away for the same thing, but he was in his late 20's (I think).

 

Best of luck Geoff, Join the Facebook Support Group

Click or copy on the link

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=38618167989&ref=mf

 

Good luck Geoff!

Terrible news. But a good chance of making a recovery.

 

Thats what I allus remember about him

interview in the Times saying something along the lines of he wanted to put somert back to where he'd got support from when other pro clubs had given up on him.

Recovery rates from male germ cell cancers are better than almost all other cancers, especially when caught early.

Will take a year to get through treatments and recovery so he'll be 35 and has struggled to get a club at 34 hence career being over.

Looked very lonely whenever he was out in town summer 07.

All the best Horse

 

Good Luck lad, thought with you and the family