In an exclusive interview with Sky Sports, Henri Lansbury, a former midfielder who played for clubs like Arsenal, Nottingham Forest, and Aston Villa, has disclosed that he successfully battled testicular cancer in 2016. The 32-year-old, who is now retired, has gone public with his story to raise awareness about men’s health during Movember.
Lansbury initially tried to ignore the issue, hoping it would resolve on its own. He admits, “Over time, I thought it would just go away,” but that was merely wishful thinking. As weeks turned into months, the problem persisted, becoming increasingly mentally taxing. He reflects on that period, describing it as “mentally draining.” Despite being a professional footballer, he couldn’t escape the unease of feeling something was wrong and constantly questioning what it could be.
The situation weighed heavily on him, especially during breaks from training when he had ample time to dwell on it. As he put it, “Obviously, being a footballer and finishing training, you’re going to sit back at a flat and just wait for training the next day. You’re feeling it and, in the back of your mind, you’re thinking, ‘What is it? What is it?'”
Even when the summer break arrived, and he was about to go on holiday, he couldn’t shake off the discomfort of keeping it to himself. Lansbury decided it was time to seek help and not deal with it in isolation.
Despite being the captain of Nottingham Forest at the time and in his prime at the age of 25, he was initially hesitant to confide in anyone at his club. Lansbury’s initial attempt was to visit a local hospital for a checkup, but he was discouraged by the long wait times. With a vacation on the horizon, he felt he couldn’t leave the issue unaddressed.
After enduring months of internal struggle, he eventually decided to open up to the medical staff at Nottingham Forest, a decision he would later be grateful for. He explains, “They put me in contact with someone to get it checked out, and I had a scan there.” The scan quickly confirmed the diagnosis of testicular cancer.
He recalls the moment, saying, “I had the scan, and they said, ‘OK, we’ll give you the results back in a bit.’ As I’ve left to get in my car, the doctor from Nottingham Forest has called me to say, ‘Can you go and pack a bag? You’re going back in for the operation tonight.'”
In a whirlwind of events, Lansbury hurried back home, his mind racing. He had only a brief window to notify his closest friends and family, a couple of them, about what was happening. “I reached out to a few friends and my family,” he recalls. Before he knew it, he was being prepared for surgery.
The sequence of events unfolded rapidly. Lansbury can recall being administered laughing gas, attempting to converse with the medical team, and then suddenly losing consciousness. When he regained awareness, Kieran Gibbs was by his bedside, teasing him about the fact that he had only one testicle.
Lansbury can now look back and find humor in the situation. The surgery was a success, and the Arsenal academy graduate continued to play professionally for another seven seasons. He enjoyed good health, free from cancer, and went on to have two more children in addition to his first child with his wife.
Following his time at Forest, Lansbury had stints with Aston Villa, Bristol City, and, ultimately, Luton Town. At Luton Town, he achieved promotion to the Premier League for the fourth time in his career. However, he made the decision to retire last summer at the age of 32, due to an unrelated thigh injury.
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