Grimsby Town Football Club is saddened to announce that midfielder Callum Ainley was recently diagnosed with thyroid cancer.

The 26 year-old, who joined the Mariners from Crewe Alexandra in the summer, has undergone surgery and will now take some time at home to recover with a view to returning to training mid-late February.

Callum has shown great strength of character since he received the news and he is currently being supported by the Club to ensure he has everything he needs. We would like to ask supporters and the media to respect his privacy at this time.

We wish Callum a speedy recovery. We hope to see him back in a black and white shirt very soon.