Chris Hughton: Former Ghana coach reveals prostate cancer battle and full recovery

Former Black Stars head coach Chris Hughton has revealed that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer last year but has since made a full recovery following successful treatment.

The 67-year-old was diagnosed in April 2025 and underwent surgery in May to remove his prostate. Medical checks confirmed the cancer was detected at an early stage, and the procedure proved successful, leaving him cancer-free.

Hughton, a former Tottenham and Republic of Ireland defender who went on to manage Newcastle United and Brighton in the Premier League, has spoken publicly for the first time about his health journey, saying he remained calm after receiving the diagnosis.

“The news certainly didn’t scare me,’ said Hughton as he discussed his health for the first time.

“I know everyone is different, but my first impression was ‘I’ll be fine. ‘ I didn’t instantly think ‘this is probably just going to kill me.” I just thought, “OK, we’ll have to do what we have to do.”

His condition was first flagged during a routine health screening provided to managers by the League Managers Association while he was at Brighton.

Given his age, family history and ethnicity—factors that placed him in a higher-risk category—he had been regularly monitoring his PSA levels.

Those checks eventually revealed a spike last year, leading to further scans that confirmed the presence of cancer.

“I had very good advice, and all the treatment options were given to me, and I decided to have my prostate removed. The recovery has gone really well,” Hughton said.

“I’m one year post-operation, and I feel good. It’s all gone very well. I’ve got a lot of energy. Keeping active and busy is part of how I am anyway, but it’s also about rehabilitation and keeping your mind active as well.

“I’m very comfortable with my prognosis and my post-operation feelings. I’m in a really good place,” he added.

Now more than a year post-operation, Hughton says he is in a strong physical and mental state and is keen to use his experience to raise awareness about prostate cancer, particularly among men in higher-risk groups.

Hughton, who won the FA Cup and UEFA Cup during his playing days with Tottenham and earned 53 caps for the Republic of Ireland, also previously managed Birmingham City, Norwich City and Nottingham Forest.

He led Ghana’s Black Stars between 2022 and 2024, before being dismissed following the team’s early exit at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Côte d’Ivoire.