The big interview: Former West Brom striker John Hartson on tackling cancer

John Hartson doesn’t pull any punches when he talks about the day he was told he had cancer.

It was back in 2009 that the former Arsenal, Celtic and Albion striker had his worst fears confirmed.

And in an exclusive interview with the Express & Star, the Welshman opened up about his diagnosis and also how it affected his time at The Hawthorns.

Now doing everything he can to raise awareness of testicular cancer through the John Hartson Foundation – there is a reason why the former striker spends most of his time doing charity work.

“I had a lump on my testicles for around four years before I went to see a doctor,” the now 42-year-old said. “I know a lot of men are like that. You ignore it. You hope it’s going to go away. I was boyish, I wasn’t mature enough to face it.

“But that is what I want to change. My testicular cancer had spread to my lungs and brain. When I found out, I sat in my car and I cried.

“I thought that was it. I wasn’t told I had a cold or something. It was cancer and cancer takes good people away from us.

“I was heartbroken. I was 32 years old and I thought, ‘I can’t dodge this bullet’.”

Hartson’s cancer was at such an advanced stage there was no time to waste.

Within days he was undergoing brain surgery. He then stopped breathing after contracting pneumonia.

For a month, hospital staff primarily worked to keep him alive rather than treat the cancer.

For Hartson himself, that time is now something of a blur – but he says he cannot forget the impact it had on his family.

“Cancer turns everybody’s world upside down,” he continued. “It was horrific.

“Your family members and your close friends actually feel it more than you, the patient.

“The patient is wired up to a machine. You are normally very heavily sedated. But it’s your mum and dad, your brother, your sister, your kids – they are taking it home.

“They are living with it 24/7. My family were asking ‘Is John going to live or die today? He has got a big operation tomorrow, a brain operation – is he going to survive?’”

Miraculously, Hartson did survive.

Seven operations – including two on his brain – together with 65 sessions of chemotherapy saw the Swansea-born star defy the odds.

And now he’s doing everything he can to make sure more men examine themselves and visit a doctor at the first sign of trouble.

Following his return to health, Hartson launched the John Hartson Foundation to raise awareness of testicular cancer.

In typically bullish Hartson fashion, the charity runs with the slogan ‘Grab Life by the Balls’ and has already raised more than £700,000 to help men diagnosed with the disease.

“I feel very lucky to have lived and that is why I want to give something back,” Hartson said. “I set up the charity in 2010 and we have had fantastic support. We are saving lives at the end of the day.

“I am very proud of the money we have raised. But it’s more about the awareness.

“Raising awareness of testicular cancer and getting men to check themselves for any lumps.

“And that’s why our slogan, ‘Grab Life by the Balls’ is the perfect slogan.

“Testicular cancer is one of the most treatable types of cancer but I let it get to the stage where it had spread to my lungs and brain.

“It didn’t have to be that way. I’m incredibly fortunate to still be here and I’m lucky enough to be in a position where I can try and encourage other men to get themselves checked.

“That’s why I set up the foundation and I’m immensely proud of the work we have done so far.”

Hartson enjoyed a glittering playing career that saw him win 51 caps for Wales and score more than 100 goals for Celtic.

But it was while a youngster at Luton that he first rose to prominence – with his impressive performances leading Arsenal to make him the most expensive teenager in British football history.

“That was huge,” Hartson recalled. “I was the most expensive teenager in British football history. They paid £2.5million for me. George Graham signed me and I’ll never forget travelling to Highbury in David Pleat’s car.

“I didn’t have an agent at the time and David Pleat’s phone was ringing every five minutes and he just kept pressing the cancel button because he didn’t want to give the move away.

“It was all new to me. And I remember George Graham saying to me ‘John, if you sign for me today, Kevin Campbell has pulled his hamstring, Alan Smith has hurt his knee this morning in training. You sign for me today and you’ll play with Ian Wright on Saturday out there at Highbury’.

“And I just thought ‘Wow – where’s the contract?’

“It wasn’t about money. I went from £275 a week at Luton to something like £4,000 a week at Arsenal.

“But that didn’t matter. I knew I would make money in my career if I realised my potential.

“For me it was all about the opportunity and playing for such a fantastic football club.”

Following his time with the Gunners, Hartson moved to West Ham and still holds the record of being the last player to score 20 Premier League goals in a season for the Hammers.

That prompted Wimbledon to pay £7.5million for his services in 1999 before he then enjoyed huge success at Celtic.

But despite an outstanding career, Hartson admits he wished he performed better in his time as an Albion player.

“I loved it at West Brom and it all started so great for me,” he said. “Bryan Robson signed me and Kevin Phillips on the same day. I came from Celtic and had several chats with Bryan over the summer.

“The plan was to use my experience. I had Zoltan Gera on one side and Jonathan Greening on the other side.

“Bryan said you’ll get great delivery. It started really well but I do genuinely believe that I was carrying cancer at the time.

“Bryan then lost his job after seven games. Tony Mowbray came in and I knew all about him because I had played against his Hibs when I was at Celtic.

“The truth is I let Tony down because I wasn’t the player he saw at Celtic. I was going through a divorce, I was having a few personal problems.

“But the West Brom fans and everyone at the club was fantastic to me.

“I look back now and West Brom was probably the only club, and I played for eight clubs, where the fans did not see the best of me.

“I excelled at Luton. I played fantastic at Arsenal. At West Ham I scored 20 goals in the Premier League. I had a great move to Wimbledon. I scored over 100 goals for Celtic.

“I had a wonderful career and worked with some seriously talented players and managers. But at Albion it didn’t go as well as I would have liked.

“It’s shame I couldn’t excel there and be the player I was previously because I loved being a Baggie.”

Hartson is now enjoying life working with his charity and also in the media.

“Things are going great for me now – I really feel blessed,” he added.

“I love working in the media. I try and be honest, articulate and thoughtful with my answers.

“I have got five kids, a beautiful wife and I live in Edinburgh which I love.

“I’m just so grateful to be here, it’s amazing to think where I am now to where I was on that day I got my diagnosis.”