Ex-Newcastle boss Chris Hughton speaks about cancer battle and recovery for first time

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Tottenham Hotspur hero Chris Hughton has opened up on his battle with prostate cancer, having undergone surgery to remove the disease.

The 67-year-old was diagnosed with prostate cancer last year. He underwent successful surgery to remove his prostate and is now cancer-free.

He is now keen to raise awareness of the disease, having managed to catch it early. Hughton said: “The news certainly didn’t scare me. I know everyone is different, but my first impression was: ‘I’ll be fine.’ I didn’t instantly think 'this is probably just going to kill me'. I just thought: 'Ok, we’ll have to do what we have to do.'”

Routine helath checks through the League Managers Association helped Hughton spot the early warning signs, having been placed into a 'high risk' category, being a black male over the age of 50 with history of illness within his family. He then underwent blood tests to get a firm diagnosis before beginning treatment.

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He added: “I had very good advice and all the treatment options were given to me, and I decided to have my prostate removed. The recovery has gone really well. I’m one year post operation and I feel good. It’s all gone very well. I’ve got a lot of energy.

“Keeping active and busy is part of how I am anyway, but it’s also about rehabilitation and keeping your mind active as well. I’m very comfortable with my prognosis and my post operation feelings. I’m in a really good place.”

Hughton is an iconic figure at Tottenham Hotspur, having made 398 appearances for the North London during his career. He has also managed them on three occasions as interim boss.

Hughton has also had spells with Newcastle United, Norwich City , Birmingham City, Brighton and Nottingham Forest . Hughton helped the Seagulls to promotion to the Premier League in 2017. He has managed 169 games in the top flight across spells with Newcastle, Norwich and Brighton.

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His most recent role was with the Ghana national side, which ended in January 2024.

The ex-defender, who made 53 appearances for the Republic of Ireland during his playing career, was recently linked with a return to former club Tottenham on a managerial basis following the woeful stewardship of Igor Tudor.

But the North London side instead appointed fellow former Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi , who is tasked with guiding the club away from relegation over the final weeks of the campaign.

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