Danny Gosset: Bala Town midfielder aims to play again after cancer

Danny Gosset
Danny Gosset played for Wales C against England in Salford in March 2019.

In 2019 Danny Gosset was a key member of the Bala Town side seeking a place in the Europa League.

Bala missed out on European qualification but that would pale into insignificance a few weeks later.

Midfielder Gosset had not felt himself during the final weeks of the Welsh Premier campaign.

"It was towards the end of last season and I felt a little niggle in the leg," Gosset told BBC Radio Cymru's Ar y Marc programme.

"I was in a little bit of pain, but I wanted to play on.

"It had been a long season and I felt a bit tired and there was something that wasn't quite right.

"I had a couple of weeks off and rested and I had a scan through Bala and discovered there was a tumour in the femur. It was quite a shock.

"There were mixed emotions. It was a big shock to hear the news but I accepted the situation, moved on and saw it like any other obstacle that was in front of me."

After being diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, Gosset underwent chemotherapy and said of the treatment: "I'm not going to lie, it was difficult.

"I was doing everything I could with diet and lifestyle, training as much as I could and load the body with as many nutrients as I could so that I could recover as quickly between treatments.

"I think things have gone as well as they could."

The Welsh football community has rallied around Gosset since news of his diagnosis - with bucket collections held at games and a crowdfunding page set up.

He was also invited to watch Ryan Giggs' Wales squad prepare for the Euro 2020 qualifier against Hungary in Cardiff last November.

Gosset said Bala had been "fantastic" during his illness and said the support of the wider football community had been "overwhelming."

Danny Gosset with members of the Wales squad last November
Danny Gosset with members of the Wales squad last November

"I'm so grateful to everyone and it's given me a boost. Without them I don't know where I'd be really. It has been a great help," he said.

Gosset, who lives in Felinheli in Gwynedd and is also a barber, has been a regular at Bala games in recent weeks and says he cannot wait to return to action.

But the former Oldham Athletic youngster, who made two Football League appearances for the Latics, acknowledges that his health and wellbeing comes first.

"That's the only thing on my mind," said Gosset, who has also played for Rhyl, Bangor City as well as short spells with Stockport County, New Saints and Cefn Druids.

"I've been following the games and thinking about when I can come back. That's the question I've been asking - how long before I can play.

"But the most important thing is for me to finish my treatment and get back 100% healthy.

"Things are going OK and I'm on the right track at the moment. I'm just waiting on some news from a scan and I hope to move on to radiotherapy.

"I've got a pathological fracture in the femur so I will have to work with the bone specialist at Gobowen hospital and see how that goes and do the rehab process.

"Obviously things like that are going to take time so we'll see how things go."