SWINDON Town academy manager Alan McLoughlin has revealed he is living with a type of kidney cancer.

The club legend is set to undergo a new combination of treatments just weeks after having neck surgery to deal with the latest in a series of issues caused by the illness.

McLoughlin announced on Twitter that he will undergo a course of radiotherapy, as well as beginning a new programme of medication, to help with his fight against renal cell carcinoma.

He released the statement on Thursday morning in a bid to clarify the position with regard to his health after he said: “some incorrect information was being circulated”.

The 53-year-old said he had originally been diagnosed with a kidney tumour back in 2012, but that it was removed before he went on a drug trial that proved to be inconclusive.

He continued: “In November 2019, I was given more bad news; that the cancer had spread to my remaining kidney, into my chest wall and my lung. I underwent immunotherapy that unfortunately didn’t work, and I was in hospital several days due to side effects that affected my kidney.

“That did get resolved, and I started taking another drug, a once-a-day tablet called Cabozantinib. This had a positive effect, as all three tumours were shrinking. I went for a scan in January 2021, and things looked stable.

“Unfortunately, the scan didn’t go beyond my thorax, so it missed a tumour growing in my vertebrae. It was only when I began to feel a pinched nerve in my shoulder that I realised there was another issue. I ended up being rushed to hospital in Swindon with a fractured neck, as the tumour had caused my vertebrae to crumble.

“Three weeks ago, I had an operation in John Radcliffe Hospital to try and take out as much of the tumour as possible, and to build a cage to support my neck.

“That was successful, and I am currently back home, about to go on radiotherapy treatment for my neck as well as a new programme of medication. So I hope that goes well.”

McLoughlin ended the statement by asking for his privacy to be respected for the meantime, and that he would be available to speak again in due course.

The former Republic of Ireland midfielder – who famously scored the goal that took Jack Charlton’s side to the 1994 World Cup in the USA – made 136 appearances for Town, finding the net 25 times. He grabbed the winner in the 1990 play-off final against Sunderland at Wembley, although Town were later denied promotion to the top-flight because of financial irregularities.