Aaron Collins and his Bristol Rovers teammates will do everything they can this season to make Nick Anderton proud after the defender revealed his cancer diagnosis.
Anderton, 26, will undergo surgery to remove part of his femur after osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer was discovered after initially thinking he had an injury. Manager Joey Barton said the operation could leave Anderton unable to walk for a year.
The news, naturally, has devastated his teammates including Collins, who dedicated his goal in Saturday's defeat to Forest Green Rovers to the former Carlisle United and Accrington Stanley defender by sprinting to the touchline and raising his number 16 shirt aloft to the crowd at the Mem.
That moment was small consolation for Collins, who says the situation has hit the squad hard.
"We wanted to get a result for Nick and everything he’s going through at the moment, but I got a goal and dedicated it to him and I want to wish him well and his family," he said.
"What he’s going through at the moment, no one wants to go through. We’re all behind him and messaging him every day.
"Our thoughts are with him and his family and we’re hoping for the best outcome. We were gutted not to get the win for him.
"It massively puts everything into context. Football is put aside for the moment and life is way more important. Our wishes are with him; you can’t take a day for granted.
"He’ll be with us all season. It’s gutting what’s happened to him. Hopefully, he comes out fighting strong."
Collins' equaliser could not help the Gas avoid defeat to Forest Green on Saturday with Regan Hendry scoring a late winner.
And while the 25-year-old – last term's top scorer with 18 goals – is pleased to get off the mark in the opening game after a four-month barren run to start last season, his focus is on getting Rovers on the board with a win at Burton Albion this weekend.
"We’ve got to look at the positives," he said. "We’ll watch the clips back and look at the positives and go again on Saturday. It’s a frustrating start, but the aim is to bounce back next Saturday and get three points.
"It took me a while last season, obviously, but I’ve got my first goal in the first game and I want to kick on the way I ended last season and go get a load of goals.
"We’ve got quite a good core from last season, but we need to create a lot more chances. We didn’t in the first half but we dominated the ball and we can work on that for the next week going into Burton as well as the coming weeks when, obviously, players are going to come in and players are going to leave. We’re going to work together and get the attacking threat working."
Finding greater cohesion with the new additions to the squad no doubt will play a big part in the Gas hitting their stride. Collins is at the heart at that, moving into a more fluid role out wide and as a second striker since the arrival of number nine John Marquis.
"We’re working together," Collins said. "He’s been in a couple of weeks and we’re working on that partnership with the gaffer, doing drills in training trying to get that linkup and there are positives to come out of it."
Collins' performances on the pitch were enough to secure hero status last season, but it was his joyous celebrations in the aftermath of Rovers' remarkable promotion that were perhaps more iconic.
The Welshman hopes to add plenty more chapters to his story with the Gas after signing a new three-year contract on Friday.
"I just love the club," he said of his new deal. "After last year, I want to make more memories like that. Last year was very special for me, as well as for the club and, hopefully, we can go on.
"The gaffer has got high aims and I’m with him all the way."
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