Stiliyan Petrov opens up on cancer battle and joy of watching Aston Villa in Champions League

Aston Villa fable Stiliyan Petrov spoke to Mirror Football astir what inspired him to combat and bushed leukemia aft a devastating diagnosis successful 2012 ended his shot career

Twelve years ago, Stiliyan Petrov was diagnosed with acute leukemia, and aft 13 months of aggravated chemotherapy, the Aston Villa fable was 1 the unfortunate fewer nonrecreational athletes who were denied the accidental to bow retired connected their terms.

Just 32 astatine the time, Petrov, a talented footballer adored backmost astatine location arsenic Bulgaria's all-time quality maker, arsenic good arsenic astatine Celtic and aboriginal Villa - wherever helium proudly wore the captain's armband - had his world turned upside down, his dreams dashed, and an almighty combat connected his hands.

Petrov's past nonrecreational quality was a 3-0 decision distant astatine Arsenal connected March 24, 2012, and it was aft that crippled astatine the Emirates that the midfielder developed a fever, which tests aboriginal confirmed to beryllium acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Over a twelvemonth of chemotherapy not lone took its toll connected Petrov - but besides his family. His 2 young children astatine the time, Stiliyan Jr, and Christian, had to unrecorded with their grandparents portion their dada battled and aboriginal bushed the life-threatening illness with his woman Paulina by his side.

It wasn't lone the emotion and enactment from his household and adjacent friends that helped him triumph the fight. It was besides seeing the spot and courageousness of others suffering from the aforesaid illness during his galore infirmary visits. He besides had the full shot assemblage rooting for him.

"When you spot radical astir the hospital, erstwhile I spell backmost to the games, each the letters I've received, it's ever encouraging to spell and combat and amusement different ones who combat there, with the close enactment and the close people, you tin flooded the hard challenges," Petrov told Mirror Football up of lacing up his boots to play successful Gilberto Silva vs. Roberto Carlos astatine Strive Aid past Sunday.

"And that was the astir important for me. I had the shot world, radical who person not been successful the shot world, but been done battles similar that, they've supported maine a lot."

"My woman was incredible," helium continued. "Having the close idiosyncratic beside you. This is what you're trying to find each your life. To find the close idiosyncratic to sacrifice erstwhile things are not going good for you. And to beryllium with you erstwhile things are going for you.

"And I've got a large idiosyncratic beside me, which I'm truly blessed. I'm inactive with her. She's inactive doing my caput in. But this is portion of the joined life.

"We're truly happy. We're truly close. We've been unneurotic for 25 years. We're truly a large hubby and wife. But besides bully friends arsenic well."

Villa stuck by their skipper passim his conflict and Petrov remains eternally grateful for the support. Under Unai Emery, the Villans are flying precocious and competing successful the Champions League, bringing a consciousness of pridefulness Petrov couldn't hide.

"Unai Emery, the 2 owners, Monchi, the sporting director, they've done an unthinkable job," Petrov said. "They person managed to prime the close players astatine the close time. Younger, exciting, quick, which are truly making Villa basal out.

"Everybody's talking astir the mode Unai Emery works with the team. His tactical approach, but besides however helium develops players arsenic well. And I deliberation successful the past 2 years, it's been truly enjoyable to watch."

Stiliyan Petrov played successful Team Gilberto Silva vs. Team Roberto Carlos astatine Strive Aid to rise wealth and consciousness for termination prevention foundation the Campaign Against Living Miserably