TOM BOYD hopes that the strength of character and unshakable determination which allowed Stiliyan Petrov to forge a successful career at Celtic will now help the 32 year-old win his battle against acute leukaemia.
The news of the illness has hit Boyd – who was captain of the Parkhead club when the teenage Petrov first arrived in Glasgow in 1999 – very hard.
Boyd has seen former Motherwell team-mates Davie Cooper, Phil O'Donnell, Paul McGrillen and Jamie Dolan all have their lives end tragically early. And, of course, only four years ago, ex-Celtic player and one of Boyd's managers at Parkhead, Tommy Burns, also lost his battle with skin cancer when just 51.
Boyd is still reeling from the announcement that tests have confirmed Petrov's illness and said: "This is shocking and very disturbing news that someone so young and fit can get this terrible illness.
"Of course, I understand that it can happen to people of any age. But, when it is someone you know, and someone who appeared so healthy, it really comes as a shock.
"I just hope that the battling qualities Stiliyan showed when he arrived in Glasgow to begin his career with Celtic can help him to beat this. He found it tough, moving so young and without any family.
"But I was very impressed with the way he showed real strength of character and determination to make a go of it. He refused to give up and head back to Bulgaria. That determination allowed him to have a very successful career with Celtic and Aston Villa.
"Stiliyan was taken to the hearts of the Celtic fans, and he will get the support of the Celtic family and the Aston Villa family at this time.
"I know this gets said about a lot of people, but he is a genuinely nice guy, and I can't think of anyone who has ever had a bad word to say about him."
The admiration he enjoyed travelled with Petrov when he made the £8m move from Celtic to Aston Villa in 2006. Boyd was not surprised to see him quickly win a new army of fans in the English Premier League.
"Stiliyan was made captain of Aston Villa, and is also very highly regarded in his homeland for the way he represented the Bulgarian national team over many, many years," he added.
"I've also lost some very good friends and team-mates, including Davie Cooper, Phil O'Donnell, Jamie Dolan, Paul McGrillen and, of course Tommy Burns. Some people take the game much too seriously, and it takes this sort of thing to put it into true perspective.
"This is what really matters, not the result of a game of football."
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