A FORMER Basingstoke footballer has revealed he has been diagnosed with the early stages of bowel cancer.

Angus MacDonald, who is from Winchester originally, has thanked the football community for their support. 

The Hull City defender who played for Basingstoke in 2011 had only recently returned to full training having been sidelined for almost a year due to deep vein thrombosis.

The 26-year-old revealed he will undergo an operation in a fortnight, before which time he intends to go travelling.

He said in two messages on his Twitter account (@Angus_Mac15): 'Thank you Football family - I'm absolutely overwhelmed by the support that has come my way this past week.

Basingstoke Gazette:

'Literally thousands of messages which I'm taking time reading through today (Thursday) and It really has given me a huge boost.

'I've got a couple of weeks until my first op, so I'm going to enjoy some time travelling and soak up as much positivity as I possibly can.'

MacDonald took to social media to share an update with fans and said he would be taking a few days off social media before facing the new challenge head on

The Winchester-born centre-half started his career in the Academy at Reading and spent time on loan at Salisbury City during his scholarship before signing his first professional contract in June 2011.

In November 2011, MacDonald joined Conference South side Basingstoke Town on loan, making his debut in a 2–1 FA Trophy win over Sutton United. 

He was signed to Barnsley for an undisclosed fee in January but has only made 13 league appearances for the Sky Bet Championship club. 

Hull City released a statement regarding the news.

“Hull City are sad to announce that Angus MacDonald has been diagnosed with early stages of bowel cancer,” the Tigers said in a statement.

“Angus has shown great strength of character in the way he has reacted to this news.

“The whole Tigers family join together in showing Angus continued love and will support him in his recovery. His physical and mental well-being are our number one priority at this moment in time.

“The club kindly requests that supporters and the media respect the privacy of Angus and his family at this time. Please also note that any further updates on his progress will be provided by the club