JOHN Hartson is a man who counts his blessings, and on his 45th birthday (Sunday, April 5), he is thankful to be spending it with his family.

At this particular time, with the country in lockdown during the ongoing coronavirus crisis, there has been widespread appreciation for the incredible work that everyone working in the NHS is doing every single day.

Like many people, John Hartson was already well aware of just how important the NHS is, given that the doctors and nurses working in it saved his life 11 years ago. He continues to applaud their work and appreciate everything they do.

The former Celtic striker, who scored 110 goals for the club during five-and-a-half years at Paradise, spoke to the Celtic View podcast about the toughest battle of his life.

“It was 2009 when I was struck down with testicular cancer that spread on to my lungs and then my brain,” John Hartson explained. “I was incredibly lucky and I’m very appreciative of the great work the NHS did with me in saving my life.

“They went above and beyond with the treatment that I had. They looked after me, looked after my family and eventually I got the right treatment which means I’m still here today.

“So the NHS is very personal to me because I feel that, with their help and their knowledge, they saved my life. It’s pretty much as simple as that. I do feel very blessed to still be here, with a wonderful family, living in Edinburgh.

“These times are quite poignant, but everyone’s going through it and you have to feel for the families who are losing loved ones. Like every other family across the world, we’re just trying to adhere to what the government have set out and staying indoors and trying to stay safe.

“And looking at the NHS now, the fantastic work the doctors and the nurses are doing. It’s incredible, the amount of great things they’re doing during this terrible crisis that we’re in.”

The Welshman remains a very popular figure with the Celtic support, and that affection works both ways.

“Ever since I arrived at Celtic, the fans have just been incredible to me,” Hartson said. “The amount of mail and goodwill messages I had from the Celtic Family at the time I was ill means an awful lot to me, and I think they know that, and they know how much the goals I scored for Celtic mean to me.

“I’ve got a fantastic rapport with the Celtic fans, and that was the case right from day one when I arrived at the club, and I had to split up that unbelievable partnership of Chris Sutton and Henrik Larsson who had done so well in the season before I arrived, in the treble-winning season under Martin O’Neill.

“The fact that I failed a medical across the road before arriving at Celtic, that was that little bit of luck you need sometimes in life. I had no allegiances at the time. I came up from Swansea to sign for Rangers, and then the medical fell through.

“Six months down the line, Martin O’Neill got in touch and said, ‘Look, John, I’d love to sign you for Celtic.’ I breezed the medical and ended up playing over 200 games for the club.”

Listen to the full Celtic View podcast with John Hartson.

John Hartson: I know just how vital the NHS is to us all