JOSE ENRIQUE: My battle with brain tumour

Former Liverpool defender Jose Enrique has thanked his fans for their support after revealing images of his treatment for a brain tumour.

The 32-year-old underwent surgery in June of last year but has now completed two months of proton therapy in a bid to completely recover from the rare condition.

Enrique, who also played for Newcastle in the Premier League, took to Instagram to share images of himself undergoing the treatment – and show off the after-effects.

The retired left back posted photos of him receiving proton therapy, which is used to help destroy cancerous cells.

He also showed off a bald spot on the top of his head and red marks near his ears after undergoing the specialist treatment for the final time in Paris on Thursday.

In one image Enrique can be seen smiling and pointing to his head with partner Amy in front of the Eiffel Tower, while another picture shows him alongside a fellow patient.

The former Villarreal defender posted an emotional message alongside the images, describing the last two months as ‘difficult’ while urging other people suffering from illness to ‘fight and go through it’.

Enrique wrote: ‘Hello guys. First of all thanks so much for all the messages and your support, it has been amazing.

“I just wanted to share with all of you some pictures of what I have been doing for the last two months. It’s been difficult I’m not going to lie, not just for me but for my partner Amy and family but I really believe it has helped me in a way to find out about this and fight it because it makes you have other priorities in life.”

“I just wanted to leave a message for the people that are going through bad times health wise or other problems. It doesn’t matter how big the problem is you can fight it and go through it.

“The most important thing is the way you take it and I have really surprised myself how I have reacted going through all of this. Don’t believe you can’t do something, it doesn’t matter how hard it is #WECAN.

“Thanks again for the lovely support.”

Enrique, who had been working for his brother’s scouting agency, revealed that he was suffering from a ‘rare brain tumour’ back in June.

“Sorry I haven’t been around much, it has been the toughest few weeks of my life,” he wrote on Instagram.

“Within the space of one month I have found out the news that I have a rare brain tumour (sic) and had surgery to have it removed.

“I am now in recovery and so thankful. Life is too precious.”

The ex-Real Zaragoza man retired in 2017 and was in London for a meeting with Brighton boss Chris Hughton when he was diagnosed with the tumour.

“We were meeting with Chris Hughton, coach of Brighton and who I had during my time at Newcastle, and that night I was beginning to get annoyed,” he wrote.

“I arrived at the hotel and I thought they were migraines. During the night I had a brutal headache. The next morning I started to have blurry (vision), then I started to see double, I had my eyes open and I saw double.

“I had to go to the emergency room and after nine hours there I had a CT scan. The test indicated that I had a vein and I was sent to St. George’s Hospital in London immediately, which specialises in Neurology, and I spent two nights there.

“They were the worst days of my life; I stayed in bed for five days without moving.”