When Joe Thompson came back for Rochdale in December 2017, he had already beaten cancer twice.
The first time had been in 2013, when he was at Tranmere.
Then it came back in 2017.
By the time he returned to the pitch, football was not just football anymore.
He had gone through chemotherapy.
He had gone through stem-cell treatment.
And he had somehow worked his way back into a professional dressing room again.
On the 23rd of December 2017, Rochdale played Walsall.
With 18 minutes left, Thompson came on.
Both sets of supporters stood and applauded him.
A few months later, Rochdale went into the final day of the League One season needing to beat Charlton to stay up.
Thompson was on the bench.
Rochdale needed something.
And with just under 25 minutes left, Keith Hill sent him on.
The ball eventually came into the box from Matty Done.
Ian Henderson tried to get something on it.
It dropped loose.
And Joe Thompson was there.
He put it in.
Rochdale were 1-0 up.
The player who had beaten cancer twice had just scored the goal that was keeping his club in League One.
The whole ground knew what it meant.
Not just because of the league table.
Because of who had scored it.
After everything he had been through, Thompson had come back to the club where he started, on the last day of the season, and scored the goal that saved them.
“You couldn’t write it.”
“That moment was amazing.”
“I am never going to get that again.”
“If I could bottle that euphoria and share it with others I would.”
Rochdale held on.
They stayed up.
And Thompson’s goal was later recognised at the Laureus World Sports Awards.
Sadly, after the cancer returned for a third time, Joe Thompson tragically passed away in April 2025 at the age of 36.
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