"I didn't want to lose" - Chesterfield favourite Tony Lormor beats cancer for an incredible fourth time

The 49-year-old, who wore the Chesterfield shirt between 1994 and 1997, has been given the all-clear from lymphoma cancer.

The ex-striker was first diagnosed with it six years ago and having previously fought it off three times it came back again 12 months ago.

Lormor had been waiting nervously for his results last week and when the hospital rang a day earlier than expected he was fearing the worst.

He told the DT: “Just for that split second your heart sinks and you just hope it is good news. The lady told me it was all-clear and I had to ask for it three times in a two-minute conversation because I couldn’t believe it.”

On overcoming it for a fourth time, he laughed: “I am a stubborn bugger! It works well in some occasions but not in others! I have turned it into a sporting challenge to a certain extent. I didn't want to lose."

The Northumberland-born former forward said he was in a “very precarious” situation because he has already had a stem cell transplant and the treatment options available to him were running out if the results were bad news.

“The last 18 months have been a complete and utter battle and it has been treatment after treatment,” he said. “You just get used to bad news. It has taken a few days to sink in.”

The 1995 Division Three play-off final hero is now looking forward to his life not revolving around hospital appointments and treatments.

“It is like you have been released from a prison sentence and you can now plan and do things and hopefully things stay as they are,” he said.

He added: “You only realise now to a certain extent how lucky I am and how precious life can be really. At the minute I am well, playing golf, trying to get myself back to the gym, but I could wake up tomorrow morning and it has all come back or I could wake up in 10 years’ time and it has never come back. That is the nature of the beast at the minute.”