A FORMER Rangers player and the nephew of legendary Liverpool manager Bill Shankly has praised the friendships he has made as he receives cancer treatment.

Roger Hynd is currently receiving pain relief at the Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice, where he has found an "unusual band of friends".

They talk, they laugh and sometimes they shed a few tears.

"Whatever the mood they all know they are in good company.

In the past few months Roger has become a weekly visitor to the hospice, and he speaks warmly of those he has forged friendships with among the staff and patients.

He said: "This hospice is a special place. I have found it very helpful, it's a very safe place."

The 72-year-old has been receiving treatment for prostate cancer and myeloma at the New Victoria Hospital in Grange Road, and his doctor referred him to specialists at the hospice to deal with pain relief.

As well as getting help and advice from medical staff, Roger has had access to a number of alternative therapies.

"I've had reiki, I've had physio and I did a bit of creative writing," says Roger.

"There are lots of different things you can turn your hand or your mind to.

"I said I would give it a try and I have found it helpful."

In the creative writing class, Roger explains that he wanted to write his obituary, to pass on to his children and grandchildren the story of their family.

Roger's roots are steeped in footballing heritage.

He said: "I wanted to write down all the names and addresses of my family so they have a starting place.

"I wound up with about half a notebook.

"I found it emotive remembering things... all the people you know and meet, friends I made at school and college, and friends I've kept through all of these years.

"There were a few times when I was in tears.

"But I've found that here tears don't matter, they are almost expected and nobody thinks of it as embarrassment."

Staff at the hospice recently worked with Rangers to take Roger along to a home game at Ibrox and a walk down memory lane, revisiting the trophy room and catching up with old friends, former Rangers player Colin Jackson and ex-St Mirren player Cameron Murray.

Roger said: "The visit to Rangers was brilliant. It's about a year ago since I was at a Rangers game.

"Colin used to organise regular visits for ex-players and he would try to organise it by decades or groups so you knew other people there."

Roger went straight from school in 1959 to play for Rangers and stayed for 10 years, at the same time studying for qualifications to be a PE teacher.

After stints at Crystal Palace and Birmingham, he moved into coaching, then managing Motherwell.

Remembering his days at Rangers, he explains the huge movement of young talent.

He said: "They would sign up to 15 boys a year and they released 12 or 13 every year.

"The turnover was phenomenal but you never think about that when you're a kid.

"We all stood, from the first team to the newest recruit, at the end of every season at the bottom of the stairs and waited your turn.

"You'd go into the room and there was either a contract on the table or it was empty.

"It was either, 'We've decided to offer you another year or the directors have decided to let you go'."

Roger said looking back on his life when he visits the hospice has been an unexpected pleasure.

He said: "They bring speakers in occasionally and there was a young lady who came in one day and asked us to bring something that makes you happy.

"So I had photographs of my grandchildren.

"I found when speaking about them to virtual strangers I was weepy but I'm so proud of them, and I'm proud of my two sons.

"The emotion took me by surprise but I've had a very happy life with my family, the people I have met and the friends I have made and kept."

angela.mcmanus@ eveningtimes.co.uk