John Barnes, the former Liverpool winger, has confirmed that he was previously diagnosed with prostate cancer but said he is “fine” after sharing details
17:55, 02 Jun 2026Updated 18:40, 02 Jun 2026
Liverpool icon John Barnes has revealed he previously battled prostate cancer(Image: Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Liverpool legend John Barnes has revealed he previously battled prostate cancer, but confirmed he is now “fine” after having surgery and undergoing treatment.
Barnes, 62, said he was diagnosed after his children pushed him to get checked. The ex-England international admitted that “not many people know” that he had the disease but has had the all-clear and “everything is okay”.
Speaking to Times Radio, he said: “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.
“Whereas with men, the government say, ‘yeah, prostate cancer, we need more awareness, we need people to come forward and in black men it’s more prevalent’. Men have to then bite the bullet and swallow their pride and admit if they have problems and say it. So it’s a good thing that that has come out.”
Barnes, who made more than 400 appearances during a decorated decade-long spell at Liverpool, then spoke about the stigma around prostate cancer and men getting checked.
He added: “I’m fine. I have my PSA and everything is okay. The thing about it is that 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. But you’re not, you’re exactly the same, you’re the same person and you’re around and that’s the main thing.”
Liverpool icon John Barnes has confirmed he previously had prostate cancer(Image: Getty Images)
The ex-Watford and Newcastle United man revealed his previous diagnosis after an invite for all black men between the age of 45 and 74 to take a prostate cancer screening trial. He described the government initiative as a “good thing”, with around 12,000 men dying of the disease in the United Kingdom each year.
Barnes’ shock admission comes less than 24 hours after former Liverpool forward and manager Kenny Dalglish confirmed he is undergoing treatment for cancer.
Dalglish wanted to keep the news private but confirmed the diagnosis after accidentally sharing the news initially in an “inadvertent social media post”.
“I am currently undergoing treatment for cancer,” Dalglish, 75, wrote on social media. “Unlike my mobile phone use, the treatment is going well. Ideally, this would have remained private because that’s the way it should be, but my useless technology skills have forced my hand.
“Obviously I did not mean to make this matter public so I would appreciate it if the privacy of my family and myself are respected. As ever, thank you to the wonderful medical staff who have shown incredible care and discretion, not just for me but for many, many others. They are a credit to themselves.”
Kevin Keegan, the ex-Liverpool midfielder, also revealed he has been diagnosed with cancer on Monday.
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