WEST HAM legend Ludek Miklosko received a hero’s welcome from fans at the London Stadium following his cancer diagnosis.
The former Hammers keeper, 63, made his way onto the side of the pitch ahead of his old club’s clash with Liverpool on Saturday evening.
Ludek Miklosko walked out in front of the West Ham fans on Saturday eveningWest Ham
He wore a Hammers scarf in an emotional return to the clubReuters
Miklosko recently revealed the cancer diagnosis he received several years agoPA
We are all with you, Ludo ❤️ pic.twitter.com/bN0qkpKZdl
— West Ham United (@WestHam) December 29, 2024
He was diagnosed a few years ago and despite the initial treatment going well, doctors subsequently discovered other tumours.
He has since decided against chemotherapy to ensure he has the best quality of life in his final days.
And the West Ham faithful gave him a superb reception as he was seen for the first time since the news.
Miklosko wore a West Ham scarf, before the club tweeted: “We are all with you, Ludo.”
Explaining his decision not to have treatment, he told West Ham’s official website: “I was thinking about this, and had another conversation with the doctor in Ostrava.
“And it was made clear to me that there could be no guarantees that it would work.
“Maybe it would help to slow it down a little bit, but it would not stop it and there would be other issues to deal with.
“I decided not to take the chemotherapy, because I want to live a normal life.
Ludek Miklosko spent eight years as a keeper at West HamPA
He returned to the London Stadium on Saturday eveningGetty
“I have very good people around me, and I have my work and my football, which is my life, all I have known. I want to keep doing that for as long as I can.”
Miklosko upped sticks from his native Czech Republic with his wife and son in February 1990 to join the Hammers.
He went on to make 318 appearances for the East Londoners during an eight-year stint.
Miklosko and his family enjoyed their time in England, so much that his son asked him to move back to London after they returned to the Czech Republic.
Miklosko was also in attendance for West Ham’s Europa Conference League final triumph against Fiorentina last summer.
Miklosko played more than 300 games for West HamTimes Newspapers Ltd Creator – [#item_custom_dc:creator]
