“When I first got the news, I actually thought I was done with football.”
Kilmarnock striker Bruce Anderson has opened up about his battle with diabetes and how team-mate Scott Allan made him realize his career wasn’t over before it started.
In honor of World Diabetes Day, the pair sat down together to discuss the condition and how a diagnosis shouldn’t be an obstacle to achieving your dreams.
“I was only 16, had just turned pro at Aberdeen, was doing really well in the youth teams and I just remember being buzzed. Sky Sports News.
“At the end of the season, that’s when I started to see the symptoms. I was going to my bed at night, dying of thirst, waking up about six or seven times a night in the bathroom and looking terrible.
Bruce Anderson was diagnosed with diabetes on his way to Aberdeen
“People were coming up to me asking if I was OK and that, I must have looked absolutely stunning.
“I just thought I couldn’t go on like this, so I called my mom and said, ‘Look, I really need help.’ is type 1 diabetes.”
After an initial panic about what this would mean, finding out she wasn’t alone helped her cope with her lifestyle change.
“When I first got the news I actually thought I was done with football, I thought there was no way,” added the 26-year-old former Livingstone player.
“A couple of weeks later, my family came and said: “By the way, Scott Alan, look at him.” That really got me going.
“I thought. “You know what, this won’t stop me.” You (Alla) were playing at the highest level in the country, so you were a big inspiration for me, and after that it was kind of my step.
“I thought. “I won’t let that stop me from following my dreams.”
Scott Allan has played almost 300 competitive matches
Alan was diagnosed while playing at youth level for Dundee United, going on to have a long career at clubs such as Celtic and Hibernian.
“It’s changed a lot. When I was first diagnosed, before I was 12, it was different, so we used syringes then and I could only eat at certain times of the day,” she said.
“When you go professional and full-time, your life completely changes from your school days to trying to be a footballer and the energy that you need and the sleep that you need because I don’t know if you were the same or the first? going pro for six months is really hard on the body because you’re just not used to it.
“That was a really frustrating part of football for me at times, not being able to go 90 minutes in some games because the blood sugar was affecting it.
“I think that’s a key message, it’s not 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 conditions and want to help other young people with any diagnosis.
“You can help people,” added Alan. “Especially parents, I think it’s a great thing for parents to be able to show their child that you can follow your dreams, regardless of whether you also have type 1 diabetes.”
Anderson, who has made 11 appearances for Kilmarnock this season, added: “You always trumpet that diabetes won’t stop you from doing anything as long as you take care of yourself.
“We know how hard it is to be a footballer, but if you just take care of yourself, it won’t really stop you from doing anything.”
