Stan Petrov made an emotional return to Aston Villa yesterday- as his team-mates serenaded him with ‘Happy Birthday’.
In April the former Celtic midfielder was diagnosed with acute leukemia after feeling ill during a match with Arsenal.
Petrov has been swamped with goodwill messages from around the world and made his first visit to Villa since receiving chemotherapy treatment.
“I’ve been a strong character since the start of my career,” the Bulgarian stated. “I always believed that you need to be patient and believe in things – and I believe that I will get better.
“I know I’ve been through a hard time but the doctors, nurses and everybody in the hospital have been great to me. I’ve got a few more months of chemotherapy and I need to go through it but I think the hardest bit is over and from now on I just need to wait for the result to be positive.”
Petrov added: “It is a great help when you’ve got letters from people who have beaten this and they have already lived 20 or 30 years. You say to yourself ‘I am going to be there as well’. I am just not going to stop fighting.
“I am 33 today. I’ve had so many wishes and messages and I hope I will keep receiving these messages for a few more years – a good 50 years!”
Since being diagnosed with leukemia there has been a change of manager at Villa Park with a familiar face to Petrov now in control.
“It is great to see the boys and it is great to see the new manager,” Stan added. “I played with him for seven years at Celtic and I am really happy that he got the job.
“I am really confident that he is going to do very well for this club because I know him very well.
“He knows that it is a pre-season and it is hard work and some people come fitter, some not as fit. It is really good. He is really looking forward to working at this club.”
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