Former Dundee star Eddie Annand has been overwhelmed by the response to news he is suffering from an incurable brain tumour.
A league winner with the Dark Blues in 1998, the striker was a firm fans favourite in his time in dark blue.
And messages have poured in from supporters and former team-mates and managers alike.
The 50-year-old spoke of a “hellish few months” after undergoing surgery to remove 92% of a 7cm tumour in his brain followed by chemotherapy.
Then in May he suffered a seizure at home and then had blood clots pressing on his heart and lungs.
Dundee return for Eddie Annand
Despite all that, Annand was in good spirits as he spoke to Courier Sport ahead of his return to the city this weekend.
He will be at Dens Park for the Premiership clash with Hearts on Sunday before taking centre-stage in a fundraising event alongside a host of his former team-mates at Duck Slatterys.
“It’s been pretty overwhelming, to be honest,” Annand told Courier Sport of the response.
“I had Jim Duffy on the phone yesterday, Gerry Collins my ex-Thistle team-mate who I met in hospital, Jocky Scott phoned me, John McCormack as well.
“Ex-team-mates like Iain Anderson, big Steve McCormick, James Grady, Dave Rogers – I’ve been in touch with them all.
“Lee Sharp is a good mate and he’s been on the phone every other day.
“That’s been good and just to read it all just to realise how many people are supporting me has been overwhelming, to say the least.
“So I’m looking forward to Sunday. I’m nervous as well, never done anything like this.
“Nobody knows what to say when they phone but it’s just the way it is.
“I hadn’t kept in touch with James Grady, we’d seen each other a few times, but you know how it goes.
“Then within five minutes of speaking we just start slagging each other!
“That’s a good thing.
“It will be good to see other people, guys like Steven Tweed and Willie Falconer on Sunday as well.
“Touched is an understatement.”
‘Special thanks to Dundee fans’
Annand, too, had a message to all the Dundee fans who had been in touch over the past few weeks.
“I’ve had lots of messages from fans saying they were thinking about me and that’s been really nice,” he added.
“Difficult but nice.
“I’ll be at the game on Sunday against Hearts with family and friends before the night on Sunday.
Due to @DundeeFC Vs @JamTarts now kicking off at 3pm, 𝐀𝐧 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐄𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐞 now kicks off at 7pm.
Let’s get behind our former player, and give him the support and appreciate he deserves.
Tickets on sale now for £25
BOOK: https://t.co/zrEvBc2tch#EddieAnnand pic.twitter.com/sCoov7SVqB
— John Brown (@JohnBrownLF) August 18, 2023
“I just need to get my Dundee strip before the game!”
He added: “I want to wish all the Dundee fans all the best for the season and thank them for their messages to me, my wife and my kids at this difficult time.
“It’s much-appreciated.
“Dundee is the first club I look for in terms of results when Rangers aren’t playing, it’s a club I really do look out for.
“So I want to say a special thanks from me and my family to all the Dundee fans and I’ll see you all at the game on Sunday and the event on Sunday night.”
Sunday’s event will feature James Grady, Steve McCormick, Dave Rogers, Barry Smith, Rab Douglas and Lee Wilkie along with manager Jocky Scott, owner Peter Marr and others.
Tickets cost £25 with all proceeds going to Eddie Annand and his family. Click HERE for more information.
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