Leukaemia survivor inspires Carl Ikeme

Carl Ikeme

When the going gets tough only the tough gets going_ true to the adage.

Aston Villa legend Stiliyan Petrov has visited Carl Ikeme following the Wolves goalkeeper’s acute leukaemia diagnosis.

The devastating news about Ikeme was announced by the Molineux club on Thursday.

Petrov, who has bravely battled the disease and emerged with the all clear, went to see Ikeme over the weekend.

The 31-year-old stopper has been inundated with messages of support from the football world.

“I went to see Carl the other day, so we had a little chat,” Petrov told the Birmingham Mail.

“Obviously there was a lot of questions in his mind, and he was in very good spirits.

“He’s started his treatment now. It’s a long road to follow.


“He had so many questions so I’ve been through it with him.

“You need to answer in a way that’s going to give him everything that will happen, what to expect, how to deal with it, what are the side effects, how he’s going to approach everything.

“There’s a lot of things, but he’s in good spirits and that’s the main thing.

“I said to him you’ll have great support. Everybody around the world will support you and it’s a great help.

“I will always give myself as an example.

“It’s a long road, it’s hard, it’s tough, you need to really battle though it.”

“But look at me now. I’m alive, I’m kicking. It’s life afterwards and it’s worth it when you battle so hard to appreciate life even more afterwards.”

Meanwhile, Wolves skipper Danny Batth urged fans to ‘show love’ for Carl Ikeme after an emotional reunion with his stricken teammate.