http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18728312 Stiliyan Petrov says hardest part of leukaemia fight is behind him Aston Villa midfielder Stiliyan Petrov has vowed to "keep fighting" against his leukaemia. Petrov, who was diagnosed with acute leukaemia in March, said the past few months had been very tough. But he said he now felt much better and, with a few more months of chemotherapy remaining, believed the "hardest bit is over". "I am just not going to stop fighting. I have always been a fighter and I will just keep fighting," said Petrov. Petrov, who was confirmed as club captain by new Villa manager Paul Lambert, added that he would remain patient and was confident he would recover. "I've been a strong character since the start of my career," he told Aston Villa's official website. "I always believed that you need to be patient and you need to believe in things, and I believe I will get better. "I know I've got a few more months of chemotherapy and I need to go through it, but I think that the hardest bit is over and from now on I just need to wait for the result to be positive." Petrov visited his Aston Villa team-mates on his 33rd birthday and received a warm welcome, including a rendition of Happy Birthday. "It is great to see the boys. I'm OK," he said. "I had a tough three months but I'm over the hurdle at the moment. "It is a good day and I hope I will keep receiving these messages for a few more years - a good 50 years!" Petrov was also keen to praise Aston Villa masseurs Andy Smith and Alex Butler, who are cycling from Celtic Park to Villa Park in September to raise funds for Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research. "It is great what they are doing for the leukaemia research and for me as well," he said. "It is going to be tough for them but they have been working really hard. "I said to them if I go in remission and I can do a bit of training I can do one of the stages with them."
God bless you Stan. A fantastic Celtic player in a pretty mediocre Celtic team ( ok forget Henrik, Sutty, big John, etc) but, by and large he was pretty much the "Paul McStay" of his era. A truly wonderful footballer with the heart of a lion. Long may your recovery continue Stilian. Our team at Paradise never filled your void for many years - and that includes Lennie & Lambo, brilliant as they were. Only now is our midfield getting back to some sort of semblance when he was here. Long live Stilian Petrov, a fantastic player and a true sportsman and Celtic man. Hail Hail Stan