When Selangor FC resumed their 2021 Liga Super Malaysia campaign last Saturday, there was a noticeable absence in the Red Giants squad that took on Klang Valley Derby rivals Kuala Lumpur City at the KLFA Stadium. Selangor captain Brendan Gan was not present in Karsten Neitzel’s squad while prior to the game the Selangor players all lined up with Brendan’s jersey, emblazoned with his usual number 88, as they took their usual pre-match photograph. It was then revealed on Monday night that Brendan’s absence was due to his diagnosis of testicular cancer, which would see him sit out the rest of the 2021 season.
Both Brendan and Selangor announced on their social media channels that the former has underwent surgery to remove a cancerous tumor within his testicles and he is now undergoing constant monitoring and supervision from specialists.
33-year old Brendan, who had represented the likes of Sydney FC, Kelantan FC, and Perak FC throughout his career, voiced out his determination in his Instagram post to beat what could be the toughest battle in his life.
“My life’s story has been nothing but positives, even the so called ‘negatives’ have given me strength and always made me find the bright side in every situation, it has built my character and tenacity to persevere through any challenge,” Brendan wrote in his Instagram, “I’m blessed to have such a supportive group around me, my wife and son Koko who motivate me to live life to the fullest, my beautiful family who have been there throughout any hurdle, my amazing friends who have stuck by me no matter what and the football community which spreads far and wide.”
“Cancer won’t define me, its only a short scenic route that I will navigate through and get back to my blessed path that I was living prior to this,” Brendan continued in his post, “The world has been crazy the past couple of years, lets look out for each other and always search for the positives in every situation! My motivation is to fight the big ‘C’ and get back out there leading the boys very soon.”
Selangor also voiced out similar optimism that Brendan would recover from his cancer and return to action as soon as possible.
“Despite his cancer Brendan remains optimistic and in fact, stronger than ever,” Selangor wrote in their social media post, “Our captain is determined to recover and eager to come back and be with the team as soon as possible. We at Selangor FC would like to wish him a speedy recovery and will always pray for his good health.”
The Red Giants also asked everyone to pray for Brendan’s recovery and for him and his family to be given all the privacy that they needed in these tough times.
Tributes pour in from all over the footballing fraternity, with the likes of Johor Darul Ta’zim, Brendan’s former clubs in Perak and Kelantan, Selangor’s arch-rivals Kuala Lumpur, and even True Bangkok United player Mika Chunuonsee and Nagoya Grampus goalkeeper Mitchell Langerak among others sending heartfelt messages to Brendan, all of them wishing for his swift recovery.
Having bounced back from two serious ACL injuries in his career, Brendan would be more than eager to overcome his cancer and make a swift and full recovery. Everyone at Football Tribe Asia would wish Brendan a very big get well soon and we hope to see him turning out once again for Selangor and Malaysia in the near future!