Former Hibs boss opens up on cancer battle as he admits 'I would collapse and black out' in candid address

A former Hibs boss has opened up on the toughest year of his life after being diagnosed with bowel cancer.

Tony Mowbray was a player at the Hoops and others before starting his managerial career with Hibs. He won plenty of plaudits at Easter Road during his reign between 2004-2006, finishing in the top four in the SPL in his two full seasons, which was the first time since Eddie Turnbull's time as gaffer that the Hibs managed this in consecutive top flight seasons.

He moved to West Brom, had time at Celtic between 2009-2010 and has since been with Middlesbrough, Coventry City, Blackburn Rovers, Sunderland and most recently Birmingham City. Mowbray stepped down from his role with the latter due to health reasons, and has revealed what was happening in his daily life.

There are plans for a dugout return - even if it’s not now - as he thanked a host of people during a hard time in his life. Mowbray told BBC Teeside: "It's been the toughest year of my life. Out of the blue my illness was diagnosed and my world came crashing down, really. The way I was going to the toilet had changed and so they had a look and I got diagnosed with bowel cancer.

"But when you get an illness like I got, It's about the family really. I remember sitting in a hospital bed, my kids with tears in their eyes, not sure whether I was going to get through it or not to be honest.

"I was very, very ill. Some days you were feeling great, and other days, I would collapse and black out and find myself on the kitchen floor. The message from me loud and clear is if there's something not normal, don't be afraid to go and see a doctor.

"It's worth it, because it's not only you. Think about your family, if you've got kids they want to see their dad until he's an old man and they can take him on holiday or push him around in a wheelchair or whatever it might be and this is to the football world on mass, really not just the people of Teesside, and the people of Teesside have been extra special of course.

"People stopping me in the street and giving me Mars bars. Some gentleman walking his dog turned around went in a shop and ran after me with his dog and gave me a bag of family Revels. It's really, really humbling and I thank everybody from the bottom of my heart. I love football, I do want to get back into the game.

"Today I stand here, I'm not ready, I haven't got the energy that's required to be a football manager. But I will, I'm pretty sure, I'm going to take my amazing wife away on holiday in the next couple of weeks. And in the new year maybe I'll see what's out there, what opportunities come and hopefully my body's telling me that I'm ready to go."