Manchester United and Wales legend Mickey Thomas to climb Snowdon with 'miracle maker' who saved him

Legendary former Wales, Wrexham and Manchester United star Mickey Thomas is set to take on Wales' highest mountain to raise money for Upper G.I. Surgical Unit at Wrexham Maelor Hospital. The 67-year-old will climb Yr Wyddfa/Snowdon on June 18 alongside the surgeon who saved his life.

The much-loved former player was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer in 2019, when his symptoms included having difficulty swallowing and losing weight. His tumour was so big that his ribs had to be broken to remove it, but luckily Dr Andrew Baker managed to remove all of it.

Thankfully, Mickey survived and is now going to climb Yr Wyddfa/Snowdon via the Llanberis path to raise funds for the unit. There is even a chance that some well-known faces from the football world could be joining him on the climb.

Mickey, who also played for Chelsea and Everton among other teams, has just undergone a six-month scan to make sure the cancer hasn’t returned. Thankfully he was given the good news that he’s still clear of the disease.

Capped 51 times by Wales in a career spanning 22 years, Mickey, who hails from Mochdre in Conwy, received messages of support from across the world during his illness, including from former footballers such as John Terry and Ashley Young. He even received a call from Sir Alex Ferguson himself, who described him as a "fighter" and boosted his spirits immeasurably at the time.

Mickey said: "I’m incredibly lucky to be here because the stats aren’t exactly great for what I had. Only about 30% make it and I had such a big tumour they couldn’t even get the camera down me. But the care I received at Wrexham Maelor was incredible and Dr Baker is most definitely a miracle maker.

"I collapsed in hospital when they told me as it was