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Tony Mowbray opens up on bowel cancer battle as emotional ex Celtic boss admits ‘my world came crashing down’
Tony Mowbray has opened up on his bowel cancer diagnosis in an emotional interview.
The former Celtic and Hibs boss admits it's been the toughest year of his life and that his world came crashing down as he spoke openly about his health battle. But the Middlesbrough legend has vowed that he wants to return to football in the future. Mowbray - who has also bossed the likes of West Brom, Blackburn Rovers and Sunderland - revealed the ins and outs of what was going on in his day to day life while also sharing stories of interactions with members of the public and their generosity.
The 60-year-old took the chance to thank everybody from the bottom of his heart as he expressed his desire to one day return to the dugout. He knows that time is not now as he continues to build back up his strength, but he knows the time will come and in the immediate future he is planning a holiday with his wife before exploring his next opportunities in the New Year.
Opening up to BBC Sport Teesside, he explained: "It's been the toughest year of my life. Out of the blue my illness was diagnosed and my world came crashing down, really. The way I was going to the toilet had changed and so they had a look and I got diagnosed with bowel cancer.
"But when you get an illness like I got, It's about the family really. I remember sitting in a hospital bed, my kids with tears in their eyes, not sure whether I was going to get through it or not to be honest.
"I was very, very ill. Some days you were feeling great, and other days, I would collapse and black out and find myself on the kitchen floor. The message from me loud and clear is if there's something not normal, don't be afraid to go and see a doctor.
"It's worth it, because it's not only you. Think about your family, if you've got kids they want to see their dad until he's an old man and they can take him on holiday or push him around in a wheelchair or whatever it might be and this is to the football world on mass, really not just the people of Teesside, and the people of Teesside have been extra special of course.
"People stopping me in the street and giving me Mars bars. Some gentleman walking his dog turned around went in a shop and ran after me with his dog and gave me a bag of family Revels.
"It's really, really humbling and I thank everybody from the bottom of my heart. I love football, I do want to get back into the game.
"Today I stand here, I'm not ready, I haven't got the energy that's required to be a football manager. But I will, I'm pretty sure, I'm going to take my amazing wife away on holiday in the next couple of weeks.
"And in the new year maybe I'll see what's out there, what opportunities come and hopefully my body's telling me that I'm ready to go."
