Gas player diagnosed with cancer

BRISTOL Rovers defender Nick Anderton has been diagnosed with cancer, the club confirmed on Thursday night.

The 26-year-old has been diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer, and will undergo an operation in the coming weeks to remove part of his femur.

In a statement, he said: “This diagnosis has come as a huge shock to both myself and my family; however, we are remaining positive and hopeful. I want to thank everyone at Bristol Rovers, especially club doctor Ian Ferguson and head of medical Stuart Leake, the specialists at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital in Birmingham and my family for their continued support.”

Anderton, inset, was a dependable player at left-back and centre-back for Joey Barton in League Two last season. He was one of the manager’s first signings, joining from Carlisle United last summer. He played 39 times in all competitions, scoring three goals including the winner at Harrogate Town in October, which was influential in turning Rovers’ season around. .Anderton returned for pre-season in June with his teammates, but did not feature in any pre-season fixtures ahead of the new campaign, which starts at the Mem today against Forest Green Rovers.

Meanwhile, Barton is relishing the return to League One action - and delighted to be first up against Forest Green Rovers, near neighbours and last season’s League Two champions.

The Rovers boss said: “Champions of the division we played in last year. It’s kind of who you want to play, isn’t it? You want to play the sides you competed against last year because you know them a bit better. We’re at home for the first time (on the opening day) in six or eight seasons, we’ve got a full house and I’m really looking forward to the League One campaign starting.”

Barton was given a big boost yesterday as striker Aaron Collins signed a new contract that will keep him at the Mem until 2025.

The top scorer of Rovers’ promotion-winning campaign had entered into the final 12 months of his deal, but his excellent form has been rewarded with fresh terms. Collins joined from Forest Green Rovers last summer and after a slow start, he emerged as a star player for the Gas. He scored 18 goals in all competitions

Glenn Whelan has returned to Bristol Rovers, joining Joey Barton’s coaching staff. Whelan, 38, has also been registered as a player and he has been joined by former Accrington Stanley and Sligo Rovers player Danny Ventre on the staff. Both have been named first-team coaches, working alongside Andy Mangan and Kevin Bond, plus Anssi Jaakkola the interim goalkeeping coach.