The 38-year-old says he still has days where he struggles to walk, or where his back feels “on fire”.
“My body just can’t do what I want it to do,” he says.
Dan underwent testing to confirm his tumours weren’t linked to genetics, which was reassuring, but still leaves him facing the unknown.
“It’s a loss of identity. I’ve been ‘Dan the ref’ since I was 10 years old.
“It’s 28 years of being who I am, it’s my personality.
“When you have the recognition that that sort of life is over, psychologically it is really tough.”
Dan is now working with a psychologist to decide the path forward.
“I feel like a 16-year-old who’s just left school and trying to work out what I want to do with my life,” he jokes.
“I have a few options, staying in football.
“[But] I don’t know if I will be able to with the mental health problems I’ve had.
“Can I stay involved in a sport that I loved but can’t do myself?”
One thing he is certain of, is going into the future with his family.
“I want to put my son, fiancée, my stepchildren first. I want to try and advocate for men’s mental health, for men speaking about health issues.
“If I can help one or two men in the process, I’ve done my job.”
And Dan accepts that if he gets back into football it would need to be for the right reasons.
“I need to get that fire my belly.”
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