Chris Hughton has been diagnosed with prostate cancer.
The 67-year-old received his diagnosis in April last year and underwent surgery to remove his prostate in May.
His cancer was detected early, and the operation has been a success. He has made a strong recovery and is once again cancer free.
Hughton, a former Tottenham and Republic of Ireland defender who had spells as manager of Newcastle and Brighton in the Premier League, wants to use his experience to raise awareness about the risks.
‘The news certainly didn’t scare me,’ said Hughton as he discussed his health for the first time.
‘I know everyone is different, but my first impression was “I’ll be fine”. I didn’t instantly think “this is probably just going to kill me.” I just thought, “OK, we’ll have to do what we have to do”.’
Hughton first picked up warning signs about his prostate when he was Brighton manager on a routine annual health check made available by League Managers Association to members.
Chris Hughton’s cancer was detected early, and the operation to remove his prostate was a success
Hughton’s most recent job was with Ghana, who managed from 2023 to 2024
He fell into a high-risk category: over 50 with family history of the disease and black. One in four black men are diagnosed with prostate cancer. He had blood tests to check his PSA (prostate specific antigens) levels every six months and has been a strong supporter of the Prostate Cancer UK charity for years.
Last year, the levels spiked and a subsequent scan detected cancer.
Hughton said: ‘I had very good advice and all the treatment options were given to me, and I decided to have my prostate removed. The recovery has gone really well.
‘I’m one year post operation and I feel good. It’s all gone very well. I’ve got a lot of energy. Keeping active and busy is part of how I am anyway, but it’s also about rehabilitation and keeping your mind active as well.
‘I’m very comfortable with my prognosis and my post operation feelings. I’m in a really good place.’
Hughton, who won the FA Cup and UEFA Cup with Spurs and won 53 caps for the Republic of Ireland, also managed Birmingham, Norwich and Nottingham Forest. His most recent job as manager of Ghana ended with the sack in 2024.
Prostate cancer, know your risk in 30 seconds: prostatecanceruk.org/riskcheck
