Rosler's Heartache

Former Manchester City striker Uwe Rosler has always adopted a positive outlook on life. It is a trait Rosler has needed in bucket loads as he has rebuilt his life after discovering he had cancer at the age of 34 in May 2003.

He had joined Norwegian club Lillestrom in 2002 following spells at a number of clubs, including Kaiserslautern in Germany and Southampton. And he was still playing when he was told he had a tumour in his chest.

The diagnosis came two days after what was to turn out to be Rosler's final professional game - a 1-0 win over Bodo/Glimt - with the German-born striker scoring the goal.

Uwe Rosler (talking to SKY TV): 'I couldn't run and I was struggling to breathe in that game so I was sent for an X-ray and the doctors discovered there was a big tumour in front of the lungs. I started chemotherapy and in a few weeks I had lost the body that I had worked on for over 25 years.

'I lost 12 kilos and all my muscles - it was a very strange feeling. The doctors told me that normally the cancer I had was very aggressive - but that it would respond to chemotherapy.

'I didn't want to know the percentage, I just wanted to know I had a good chance of survival. I missed football so much when I was recovering and as I couldn't play any more my only chance was to coach.

'When I applied for the Lillestrom job I didn't expect to get it but I had a little bit of luck as the club had some financial problems and I was in the right time at the right place.

'When I watch Manchester City manager Stuart Pearce on the touchline I think I'm a bit like him. I'm quite active on the sideline and I demand a lot of professionalism from the players.

'I try to find the right balance between encouraging people and giving them credit and pushing them to make them understand that what is good today is not good enough tomorrow.

'We have a three-year plan for Lillestrom to re-establish them as a top team and win something.

'I want to compete against the best as I did when I was a player.'

Click here to join in the debate on the club forum.