John Hartson

John Hartson is renowned for his tenure as a professional footballer for teams such as the Wales National Team, Celtic, Arsenal, West Ham United and Luton Town. Having earned 51 international caps for Wales, John retired from the sport to become a TV Pundit for channels such as Sky Sports, Premier Sports TV, BT Sport and S4C. Amidst enjoying a successful sporting career, John has survived great adversity, having been diagnosed with testicular cancer and battling a gambling addiction. Now hired as a motivational speaker, John inspires audiences with emotive speeches on cancer, gambling addiction, resilience and recovery. 

Turning professional in 1992, John enjoyed a successful career as a footballer, scoring 14 goals in his 51 international caps for Wales. Playing for a variety of national teams, making a total of 399 appearances and 167 goals, John is best known for his success with the Celtic football team – becoming one of only 28 players to score more than 100 goals for the club. Earning awards such as Welsh Footballer of the Year 1998, 2001 and 2003, PFA Scotland Players’ Player of the Year 2005 and SFWA Footballer of the Year 2005, John broke British and club records, stamping his name in the history books. Retiring from football, John became a Pundit for Setanta Sports in 2008, later becoming a Pundit for ITV’s coverage of the FA Cup and an Analyst on BT Sport Score.

In 2009, John’s life changed drastically following diagnosis of stage four cancer, which had originally been testicular cancer but unfortunately spread to his brain and lungs. John discovered two testicular lumps four years prior to his diagnosis but refrained from getting them checked. Since his diagnosis, John has passionately raised awareness of testicular cancer – becoming the Founder and Ambassador of The John Hartson Foundation. To raise awareness and funds for testicular cancer, John has orchestrated a variety of events including the John Hartson Golf Day and the John Hartson Annual Sportsman Lunch, and he also authored the book Please Don't Go: Big John's Journey Back to Life to share his story. In addition to testicular cancer, John has also endured a long battle with gambling addiction. Having since recovered, John now works tirelessly to support others struggling with addiction, delivering gambling and addiction workshops with specialist addiction therapist Tony Marini – committed to ending the stigma of addiction, empowering people to recognise their problem and encouraging them to get the help they need. 

Now hired as a motivational speaker, John emotively shares his story of overcoming adversity and works tirelessly to raise awareness of gambling addiction and cancer. Providing tailored workshops, John uses his stature as a former professional footballer to drive the conversation surrounding addiction and the detection, treatment and awareness of testicular cancer. Breaking down the stigma surrounding gambling addiction, John is regularly sought after to share how he recovered – especially for events and campaigns during Safer Gambling Week. Advocating for awareness of the signs of cancer, John has previously appeared in broadcasts for Sky News, TNT Sports and The Scottish Sun to promote awareness of testicular cancer. If you are looking for a powerful speaker who can cover topics of overcoming adversity, mental resilience, mental health and more, John Hartson is a fantastic choice.