Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish reveals cancer diagnosis after accidental social media post
The 75-year-old former Liverpool player and manager said his 'useless technology skills' forced the news public, but added that treatment is going well.
Sir Kenny Dalglish, widely regarded as Liverpool's greatest ever player, has confirmed he is undergoing treatment for cancer. The 75-year-old Scot revealed the diagnosis on Tuesday after inadvertently posting about his treatment on social media earlier in the day.
An accidental disclosure
Dalglish had intended to keep the matter private but was forced to issue a formal statement after the initial post. He addressed the mishap with characteristic self-deprecation.
As my inadvertent social media post has indicated, I am currently undergoing treatment for cancer. Unlike my mobile phone use, the treatment is going well.
He added that his "useless technology skills have forced my hand" and requested privacy for himself and his family. Dalglish also thanked the medical staff who have shown "incredible care and discretion."
Liverpool's response
Liverpool FC issued a statement shortly after Dalglish's announcement, offering the club's full support.
The support, best wishes and love of everyone at Liverpool FC are, and will be, with Sir Kenny and his family. The club would also like to underscore his request for privacy moving forward.
A towering legacy
Affectionately known as "King Kenny" by supporters, Dalglish's career at Anfield spanned over a decade as a player and then player-manager. He won five league championships and three European Cups with Liverpool between 1977 and 1985, making 515 appearances for the club.
In 1985 he became player-manager and led Liverpool to a league and FA Cup double in his first season, followed by two more league titles in 1988 and 1990. He retired as a player at age 39, having scored 118 goals in more than 350 games for the Merseyside club.
Hillsborough and beyond
Dalglish stepped down abruptly as Liverpool manager midway through the 1990–91 season, mentally overwhelmed after serving as the club's figurehead following the 1989 Hillsborough Stadium disaster, which caused the deaths of 97 Liverpool fans. He attended funerals and backed the families' long-running campaign for truth and justice.
He later won the Premier League title with Blackburn Rovers in 1995 and returned to Liverpool for a second stint as manager in January 2011, winning the League Cup in 2012. In 2017, Fenway Sports Group renamed Anfield's Centenary Stand in his honour, and he remains a non-executive director on the club's board.
Wider football context
The announcement comes one day after another former Liverpool forward, Kevin Keegan, revealed that he has stage four cancer.
