Bristol Rovers defender Nick Anderton diagnosed with rare form of bone cancer

Nick Anderton playing for Bristol Rovers
The defender has issued a statement following the diagnosis Credit: PA

Bristol Rovers defender Nick Anderton has been diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer.

The club confirmed he had Osteosarcoma and as a result will undergo an operation in the coming weeks.

Nick has issued the following statement: "Unfortunately, this rare form of cancer which is affecting my femur means that I’ll be undergoing an operation in the coming weeks. 

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

Newlyweds face £50k bill as baby born early during honeymoon in Turkey
People urged to talk as Cornwall suicide rates are some of the UK's highest

"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!"