“When I first got the news, I actually thought football was over.”
Kilmarnock striker Bruce Anderson has opened up about his battle with diabetes and how fellow footballer Scott Allan made him realize his career was not over before it began.
On World Diabetes Day, the two sat down together to discuss their diabetes condition and whether the diagnosis is a barrier to achieving their dreams.
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Kilmarnock’s Bruce Anderson and former Celtic and Hibs player Scott Allan learn about the challenges of living with type 1 diabetes and the challenges that don’t stop him from being a footballer.
“I was only 16 and I turned professional at Aberdeen and I remember doing really well for the youth team and making a splash. I was a full-time footballer chasing my dream,” Anderson said. Sky Sports News.
“Towards the end of the season I started to have some sort of symptoms. I was going to bed at night and dying of thirst, I was waking up about six or seven times a night to use the bathroom and I looked terrible.
Bruce Anderson was diagnosed with diabetes while in Aberdeen.
“People came up to me and asked me if I was okay, and I seemed shocked.
“I didn’t think I could go on like this, so I called my mom and told her I really needed help. I couldn’t make it on the phone and went to the hospital. My life changed after that. I had type 1 diabetes.”
After initial bewilderment about what it meant, knowing that I was not alone helped me cope with the change in lifestyle.
The 26-year-old former Livingston player added: “When I first got the news I thought football was over. I thought there was no way.”
“A few weeks later my family came to me and said, ‘But Scott Allen, look at him.’ That was really encouraging.
“I thought, ‘This isn’t going to stop me.’ You (Allan) were playing at the highest level in the country, so you were a huge inspiration to me and after that, it was like taking it all in my stride. .
“I thought, ‘This isn’t going to stop me from pursuing my dreams.’”
Scott Allan has competed in nearly 300 competitions.
Allan was diagnosed while playing at youth level for Dundee United and went on to have a long career with clubs including Celtic and Hibernian.
“It’s changed tremendously. Things were different until I was 12 when I was first diagnosed. At that time, I was using syringes and could only eat at certain times of the day,” he said.
“When you become a professional and play full-time, your life completely changes from your school days to working hard to become a soccer player. You need the energy and sleep you need. Playing professionally for six months is really hard on your body because you’re not used to it. It’s hard work.
“For me it was a really disappointing part of football not being able to play for 90 minutes in certain games because my blood sugar was affecting me.
“I think that’s the key message: You’re not going to be perfect every day, but you can strive to be perfect.”
Anderson scored three goals in 11 appearances for Kilmarnock.
Both players are able to manage their condition and want to help other young people cope with their diagnosis.
“You can help people,” Allan added. “I think it’s a big deal, especially for parents, to be able to show their children that they can pursue their dreams even if they have type 1 diabetes.”
Anderson, who has featured in 11 games for Kilmarnock this season, added: “You always beat the drum that diabetes won’t get in the way of everything you do as long as you take care of yourself.
“We know how hard it is to be a footballer, but nothing will stop you from doing anything if you look after yourself.”
