Former professional footballer Mick Harford is looking more svelte these days, but while he’s feeling better for the stone-and-a-half weight loss, his new healthy diet and fitness regime have been inspired by a devastating diagnosis.
The 64-year-old has prostate cancer.
Mick, who played for teams including Chelsea, Wimbledon and Luton Town, who he also managed, was known for his tough style of play.
But he says he is now tackling his biggest challenge ever, admitting that being told he had cancer was “a massive body blow. It rocks your whole life”.
Mick first went to see his GP after suffering symptoms he realised needed to be checked with an expert.
He says: “I was up three or four times in the night to wee. I had no pain, just a lot of anxiety as I needed to rush to get to the toilet and was having lots of accidents.”
Initial blood tests revealed that Mick’s PSA level was “through the roof” and, in December 2020, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, a disease which kills one man in the UK every 45 minutes.
Doctors had to break the news that the disease had already spread and was in his lymph nodes too.
“When you are told you’ve got cancer it’s massive,” he says. “It was pretty emotional telling my family. I was in shock.”
Sunderland-born Mick, who was capped twice for England, was told diagnosis had come too late to have his prostate removed and he had at least three years of treatment ahead of him, involving 40 sessions of radiotherapy.
“The side effects are very cruel,” Mick says. “I’ve had radiation damage downstairs. That’s a big problem.”
The former striker has also been having hormone treatment to keep the cancer under control, so has suffered from hot sweats, sleep deprivation, swollen legs, anxiety and a little cognitive defect.
“My memory isn’t as good as it used to be,” he admits. “I hope when I stop the medication and I get the all clear things will come back.”
Living with the disease has also taken its toll on Mick’s mental health. “You hide away. I’ve steered away from going out. You just want to be on your own, but when you’re on your own it makes it a lot worse, because it just comes to the forefront of your thoughts.
“It has a massive effect on your life mentally and knocks you sideways. It’s a tough one. There is always the lingering doubt that this is never going to go away.”
But Mick is determined not to let the cancer beat him.
“When I was diagnosed I made a massive lifestyle change. I mostly stopped drinking alcohol and only drink a minimal amount now.
“I also changed my diet. I stopped eating sugars and carbs, and went on the Keto diet for long periods of time.
“I did a lot of fasting and just cleaned myself up. I started going to the gym more. I feel so healthy now. Living a good balanced life has really helped me. Like most ex-footballers I got quite big and I used to get a lot of indigestion and heartburn. I never suffer from that now and I’ve lost a stone and a half.”
Mick’s PSA levels have also dropped.
“I’m in a good place at the moment,” he says. “I’m still hoping for good news when I finish treatment.”
Now he’s backing Prostate Cancer UK’s Prostate FC campaign, which is helping to raise awareness with football fans about the disease which affects one in eight men.
“I’d like to send a message out to men to please get tested,” he says.
“Don’t leave it too late. Don’t be all macho.”
Mick, who works at Luton Town FC as a recruitment officer, says he has coped thanks to the support of doctors, nurses, family and the football community.
“The hardest part is that you think you are a burden on everyone. Cancer plays tricks on your mind.
“But people have been fantastic. The support I’ve been given has been immense. If I lived to be 500 I still couldn’t thank them enough.”
In the meantime, Mick is staying positive: “I’ve been told in a year’s time that I will have a 90 per cent chance of getting the all clear and I’ve a strong belief I will.
“You learn to accept what’s happened to you and live with it.”
To find out more about Prostate FC click here.
