Footballer urges vigilance after cancer diagnosis

An amateur footballer has urged people to "be persistent" with checking their health after he survived a testicular cancer diagnosis.

Liam Landers, 27, had been playing football in Essex last year when he was hit in the testicles during the game.

"It sent shooting pains in my stomach and I was thinking, 'This isn't right'," he said.

Mr Landers said he was "back to normal" last September and added: "I owe that guy who bashed me in the balls a beer."

The incident happened at a corner kick during a match for Chelmsford-based team Old Chelmsfordians.

"The days passed and my right testicle, it just kept getting bigger and bigger," the footballer said.

Mr Landers said he took himself to a urologist after his GP initially said his injury was not "sinister".

He was later diagnosed with testicular cancer and had to have the body part removed.

After a course of chemotherapy in August last year, Mr Landers said he had recovered by September.

"If I hadn't of got that bash at football, the tumour could've stayed dormant... It could have remained undetected," he added.

Mr Landers shared his story after The Only Way Is Essex star Bobby Norris urged men to "check themselves" after finding a lump, as reported by PA Media.

The 37-year-old said on Instagram he was going to hospital for further tests as his doctor "wasn't really happy" with the irregularity.

"It's a scary old thing, but then not knowing is going to be scarier," he said.

Mr Norris urged women and girls to tell the men in their lives to keep a close eye on themselves and act on any concerns.

"I don't really know what to say, but I found a lump and had gone to my doctor about it, and he wasn't really happy with it, so I've been referred to go for further tests," he told followers.

"I wanted to jump on to say how important it is that we're all checking ourselves."

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