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23rd Oct 2021

Norwich players wear ‘Stay Strong Dan’ shirts in support of teammate Barden’s cancer diagnosis

Daniel Brown

Stay strong, Dan

Norwich City players have showed their support for teammate Dan Barden after the young goalkeeper was diagnosed with testicular cancer last week.

The Canaries recently confirmed that 20-year-old Barden – who had been on loan at Scottish side Livingston – had been diagnosed with testicular cancer.

The Welshman is now spending a period of time away from the game to undergo treatment following his diagnosis.
His parent club released a club statement where they wished Barden a speedy recovery and said ‘we are with him every step of the way’.
Ahead of Norwich’s Premier League clash against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, Daniel Farke’s men warmed up in t-shirts with a supportive message for the youngster.

The entire squad wore black t-shirts with white font that read: “We’re with you stay strong Dan”.

The young goalkeeper has stated that he is optimistic about his situation, insisting that he has adopted a ‘positive mindset’ ahead of what will undoubtedly be a challenging period.

“It has been a very difficult and challenging period, but the support of my family, friends and colleagues has helped get me through the last few weeks,” Barden told the club’s official website.

“I can’t thank the medical departments at both Norwich and Livingston enough, as well as everyone at the Royal Marsden Hospital.

“The speed at which everything has moved has been crazy, but everyone has been absolutely brilliant with me. Both Daniel Farke and the Livingston manager, David Martindale, have also been very supportive.

“The initial diagnosis was a real shock for me, but the positive thing is that we’ve caught it early and the prognosis and next steps have all been positive.

“I’m optimistic and have a positive mindset. I’m confident that I’ll be able to beat it and that I’ll be back out there doing what I love soon.”

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