Shock as legend Ray Clemence reveals cancer fight

The 65-year-old ex-Liverpool and Tottenham shot-stopper is currently recovering following chemotherapy after scans revealed a tumour at the base of his spine.

Clemence found a lump on his neck this time last year and an MRI scan revealed the tumour.

This is the second time Clemence has been struck down by the disease after beating prostate cancer in 2005.

But he quickly returned to work coaching England's goalkeepers after having the prostate removed. This time the disease helped force his retirement from the FA last month.

"It was a shock," he said. "Chemotherapy is so hard. You feel ill everywhere. At the start of this year I'd lost most of my hair and felt dreadful.

"I'd put on that weight too. I was right in the middle of the woods but now I'm on the outside of the woods.

"I'm not out completely yet. I'm in remission and the tumour had reduced by 50 per cent the last time they looked.

"In a couple of weeks I'm hoping there will be more good news. I'm on fantastic tablets now. It's still chemo, but they just attack the bad cells.

"You have to be strong to come through the difficult times as a goalkeeper and that's the way I'm approaching this."

Clemence's son Stephen is a former Birmingham midfielder currently coaching at Hull City while his daughter Susan is married to ex-Wolves striker Dougie Freedman, the Bolton manager.

In a glittering career spanning 758 club games, Clemence became one of the country's most decorated footballers, winning three European Cups, five League titles, two UEFA Cups, the UEFA Super Cup, two FA Cups, the League Cup and five Charity Shields.

Clemence only retired from the FA last month, ending a 30-year association as player and goalkeeping coach, and was presented with a Rolex watch by the players.

After winning 61 England caps between 1972 and 1984, he returned to the national team in August 1996 under his former Tottenham team-mate Glenn Hoddle as England goalkeeping coach.

He was replaced by Italian Franco Tancredi in December 2007 when Fabio Capello was appointed England boss but reinstated when Roy Hodgson took over as manager.