Nick Anderton: Bristol Rovers players to shave heads in support of defender's cancer diagnosis
- Published
Bristol Rovers and Forest Green players wore shirts in support of Nick Anderton before their League One match in July
Bristol Rovers players and staff will shave their heads in support of defender Nick Anderton, who was diagnosed with bone cancer in July.
Anderton had a successful operation to remove a tumour in October.
But he is now undergoing intense chemotherapy after a biopsy revealed aggressive cancerous cells remain in the 26-year-old's body.
The team will go bald on 16 January - with 16 being Anderton's shirt number - to show their support.
"We've always been as one in support of Nick," Rovers captain Paul Coutts said.
"In the blink of an eye, his world's been turned upside down and this is another way that we can help raise awareness of his condition and raise valuable funds for him and his young family at the same time."
Anderton was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, external - a type of sarcoma that develops in supporting tissue in the body - in his femur last summer.
He joined Rovers in May 2021 from Carlisle United and made 39 appearances for the club last season, with the last coming in April 2022.
The club have also set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for Anderton and his family, which has surpassed £9,000 in less than 24 hours.
Allow Twitter content?
This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
In an interview with BBC Radio Bristol in December, Anderton said he was "taken aback" by the volume of support he had received so far.
"The support that I've received on social media, I've had mail sent to my house, emails from past clubs I've been at, their supporters groups and clubs from the Premier League down to League Two have sent me signed shirts. It's just been amazing," he said.
"When that many people are thinking of you, it gives you another boost."