John Barnes Reveals Prostate Cancer Surgery at 62

john barnes says he had prostate cancer and underwent surgery to remove his prostate. The former England and Liverpool striker, 62, said he is now fine after keeping the diagnosis private.

He made the disclosure during an interview on Times Radio and used it to push a message that went beyond his own case. Barnes said the subject is still treated as taboo, especially when compared with the public attention given to breast cancer.

Barnes on prostate cancer

"I've had prostate cancer, I've had my prostate out, not many people know and it's a bit of a taboo subject because we support women with breast cancer and it's not even an issue," he said. He added that more awareness is needed and that in black men the disease is more prevalent.

Barnes also urged men to act before symptoms become a bigger problem. "Men have to then bite the bullet and swallow their pride and admit if they have problems and say it," he said. "A lot of men don't want to admit it or want to have it done because it makes them feel less than a man."

Dalglish and Keegan disclosures

His comments came in the same week that Sir Kenny Dalglish said in a social media post that he is currently undergoing treatment for cancer. Dalglish said the treatment is going well and asked for privacy for his family and himself.

Kevin Keegan also said this week that he has stage four cancer. He said he was diagnosed after a scan following a car accident and an operation, and that he has been undergoing treatment in recent months.

Barnes’s decision to speak publicly turns a private diagnosis into a public warning. He said he is fine now, but his message was aimed at men who still put off getting checked and at families who may need to push that conversation before symptoms become harder to ignore.