John Barnes Discloses Prostate Cancer Surgery And Calls On Men To Get Tested

John Barnes, the former Liverpool and England footballer, says he had his prostate removed after doctors found he had prostate cancer. The 62-year-old is now appealing to men to move past embarrassment around the illness and get checked when they need care.

In an interview with Times Radio in the United Kingdom, Barnes said his children encouraged him to take a test. That decision resulted in the cancer being discovered and later treated through surgery.

“A lot of men don’t want to admit it or want to have it done because it makes them feel less than a man. But you’re not, you’re exactly the same, you’re the same person, and you’re around, and that’s the main thing,” Barnes said.

Barnes said men still treat prostate cancer as a difficult subject to discuss, even though it is the cancer most often diagnosed among men across the world.

“We support women with breast cancer, and it’s not even an issue…Whereas with men, the government say, ‘yeah, prostate cancer, we need more awareness, we need people to come forward and in black men it’s more prevalent’. Men have to then bite the bullet and swallow their pride and admit if they have problems and say it. So it’s a good thing that that has come out,” he said.

Barnes said his recovery from the operation is going well.

Regarded as one of Liverpool’s finest players, Barnes was with the club for 10 years, from 1987 to 1997. During that spell, he helped Liverpool capture two league titles, two FA Cups and one League Cup. He made 407 appearances and scored 108 goals.