HULL CITY  defender Angus MacDonald has been diagnosed with early stage bowel cancer.

The Yorkshire club posted a statement on their website to announce the news regarding the 26-year-old.

It read: "Hull City are sad to announce that Angus MacDonald has been diagnosed with early stages of bowel cancer.

"Angus has shown great strength of character in the way he has reacted to this news.

"The whole Tigers family join together in showing Angus continued love – and will support him in his recovery.

"His physical and mental wellbeing are our number one priority at this moment in time.

"The Club kindly requests that supporters and the media respect the privacy of Angus and his family at this time.

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"Please also note that any further updates on his progress will be provided by the Club."

The news will come as another blow to MacDonald who spent ten months out the game after discovering a blood clot in his calf in September 2018.

Having only recently returned to training after the lay off, MacDonald told Football League World it was the toughest period of his life.

MacDonald is currently dating X Factor winner Alexandra Burke.

He said: "I can remember it to this day, it was the 7th of September, my leg just started to feel a bit weird the night before after a dog walk, and I woke up the next morning with pain in my right calf.

"I went into the physio room and started laughing, but I could tell by their faces that they weren’t laughing and saw the serious side of it straight away, I got rushed down to hospital, had an MRI scan and straight away got told I’ve got a blood clot in my calf."

Given the unusual nature of the injury, MacDonald did not know how long he was going to be out but after ten months out the game he said he was in the best psychological shape he had ever been in.

He added: "It’s been the toughest year of my life, every player wants to play, wants to come into training, every player has setbacks but to not know the end date to when I could come back training was mentally depressing.

"I was unhappy, I didn’t want to get out of bed, couldn’t find anything that made me happy, not that football is the only thing that makes me happy, but I just can’t explain in words how mentally draining it was.

"But now coming back and overcoming that injury, I’m mentally the strongest I’ve ever been."

The 6ft 3ins Englishman previously played for Reading, AFC Wimbledon and Barnsley before making the switch to Humberside in 2018.

MacDonald tweeted only last week to send his thoughts and prayers to former Barcelona manager Luis Enrique whose nine-year-old daughter died of bone cancer.

Know the signs

Fewer than one in ten people survive bowel cancer if it's picked up at stage 4, but detected quickly, more than nine in ten patients will live five years or longer.

At the moment, Brits are subject to a postcode lottery, with those living in Scotland screened from 50.

Meanwhile, south of the border in England, and in Wales and Northern Ireland, those tests aren't offered until 60 – resulting in thousands of needless deaths.

That's why The Sun's No Time 2 Lose campaign called for a simple poo test offered to everyone, every two years, from their 50th birthday.

Last summer after pressure from The Sun and campaigners, the Government agreed to lower the screening age, but a date for roll out has yet to be confirmed.

Screening is one aspect of catching this disease early.

It is vital every Brit knows what the red-flag symptoms of bowel cancer actually are – and act on them if they are worried.

But a survey by Bowel Cancer UK highlighted that few Brits are actually aware of the signs they should be watching out for.

Five red-flag symptoms:

• bleeding from the back passage, or blood in your poo
• a change in your normal toilet habits – going more frequently for example
• pain or a lump in your tummy
• extreme tiredness
• losing weight

Tumours in the bowel typically bleed, which can cause a shortage of red blood cells, known as anaemia.
It can cause tiredness and sometimes breathlessness.

In some cases bowel cancer can block the bowel, this is known as a bowel obstruction.

Dr Lisa Wilde, Director of Research and External Affairs, Bowel Cancer UK said: “We are sorry to hear Angus has been diagnosed with bowel cancer.

"Although the disease is more common in the over 50’s, it can affect people at any age. Every year in the UK over 2,500 younger people, like Angus, are diagnosed.

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"Bowel cancer is the UK’s second biggest killer, however it shouldn’t be because it is treatable and curable especially if diagnosed early.

"Being aware of the symptoms and visiting your GP if things don’t feel right can help increase chances of an early diagnosis.

"Your doctor sees people with bowel concerns every day so there is nothing to be embarrassed about. It could save your life.”

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