Young footballer eyes new goal after beating cancer

A former Hong Kong football prodigy hopes to achieve his goal of playing in the English Premier League after beating cancer.

Australian Dylan Tombides, 18, played with the Brazilian Soccer School in Yau Ma Tei for more than a year. He went on to join the first-team squad at London club West Ham United, who have just been promoted to the Premier League.

Yet 10 months ago, a random drug test after a match for Australia under-17s uncovered a tumour on one of his testicles. 'I was on such a high throughout the first six months last year - then I came down with a thud,' Dylan says.

'I returned home to London and my mum had spoken with the West Ham medical staff, who immediately put in place appointments, tests and scans. Within five days, I had my first operation to remove the tumour.'

The Tombides family moved from Australia to Macau, where his mother had got a job, in January 2007. During their 14 months in Macau, Dylan travelled to Hong Kong each week to play for the soccer school. He would arrive to train on Friday nights and then play on Saturday mornings before returning to Macau the same evening. If there were tournaments, he would stay the whole weekend.

In October 2008, the family moved to London, where Dylan signed for West Ham United. A gifted centre forward, he was named the team's Academy Player of the Year in the 2010-11 season and featured in the first-team squad for their final 2010-11 Premier League fixture against Sunderland.