Rene Henriksen, the Danish footballer who played for Panathinaikos has revealed he is suffering from an incurable type of cancer. Henriksen, 48, told the press in Denmark he was diagnosed with a rare type of bone marrow cancer called myelomatosis. It is considered one of the rarest types of cancer to hit people under 50.

“I thought the games of my life had ended on the pitch. Now I treat this as the match of my life. I am determined to find the strength to prevail”, Rene said.

The news of his disease caused an outpour of support in Greek media, as he excelled not only as a player for Panathinaikos from 1995 to 2005, but also stood out for his pristine character, something recognised by friends and foes.