KUALA LUMPUR – Before a ball has been kicked in Tuesday’s Causeway Derby, Malaysia midfielder Brendan Gan is already a winner.
In July 2021, he revealed his early-stage testicular cancer diagnosis, underwent surgery and treatment, and had to put his football career on hold.
Gan told the New Straits Times: “It was a shock to me... I was speechless for five to 10 minutes. I found a small lump, and I decided to investigate it. I went to a urologist, and he said everything was fine. However, I decided on getting a second opinion.
“I looked after myself and stayed healthy, so it was hard. My wife and son were in Australia then. I had to go through the process myself. But the support I received from everyone was amazing.
“Coming back from that, I thought it was going to be like a muscle injury, but it was a different challenge with many setbacks. It was a roller coaster emotionally and physically.”
Remarkably, less than a year later, the Selangor skipper recovered. He returned to the pitch in June and scored a brace in a 7-0 Malaysian Super League win over Sarawak.
The 34-year-old midfielder even earned a national team recall just three months later.
Now, as one of their three co-captains, he is one of the first names in Tigers coach Kim Pan-gon’s starting XI at the AFF Championship, in which they need to beat Singapore to progress into the semi-finals.
Interestingly, neither Kim nor Malaysia forward Faisal Halim would comment on the inspiration they derived from Gan’s experiences, while the player was not available for interview before the game.
But for all he has been through, winning the Asean title would surely mean the world to Gan, who was born in Sydney to a Malaysian father and Australian mother.
After impressing for hometown team Sutherland Sharks, he turned out for Sydney FC for three seasons, playing 38 A-League matches and scoring five goals.
He joined Sabah in 2012 and was granted Malaysian citizenship the following year. But it was not until 2016 that he received the first of his 23 Tigers caps.
He suffered anterior cruciate ligament injuries in both knees in 2015 and 2016, but Gan bounced back to help Perak win the 2018 Malaysia Cup.
He said: “My life’s story has been nothing but positives. Even the so-called ‘negative’ has 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.”
Gan also posted updates on his condition on his Instagram page and used his experience to encourage others. In one post, he revealed his bald head and wrote: “It’s okay to be vulnerable and to feel the emotions of the process...
“Personally, it’s not about losing the hair, it’s the constant reminder that cancer is real and affects many people around the world.
“Don’t be embarrassed or ashamed... embrace the process and the new look that comes with it.”
While his team members were less open, they will surely appreciate Gan’s fighting spirit on and off the field.
