A Castleford Tigers club legend has spoken out after undergoing heart surgery following the discovery of a previously undiagnosed issue.

Adrian Vowles is a certified legend at Castleford, with the Queenslander being one of several Cas players to win the Man of Steel award, something he did back in 1999.

Since Vowles’ win, the likes of Rangi Chase, Daryl Clark, Luke Gale and Paul McShane have all won the award whilst wearing Castleford colours, but Tigers’ fans still hold a soft spot for Vowles, 20 years since he retired.

He joined the club in 1997 and stayed until the end of the 2001 season, leaving for Leeds, then Wakefield, before rejoining the Tigers in 2003, though he would play just six times in his second stint with Castleford.

Now 54, he’s revealed to media in Australia that a recent check-up uncovered a faulty valve in his heart, leading to a bypass and a lengthy period of recovery.

Castleford Tigers star Adrian Vowles opens up on heart surgery

As reported by Wide World of Sports in Australia, Vowles went to the doctors after feeling unwell, something that would lead to the discovery of a faulty valve in his heart.

That previously undiagnosed issue was actually something that Vowles had been born with, however, it’s now been resolved with a bypass.

Vowles explained: “I knew nothing about it until recently when I started to feel poorly and doctors found the problem and I underwent a bypass.”

On the process, he admitted: “It was the hardest hurdle I have had and I had some pretty dark days in hospital. Going from training most days to being flat on your back full of drugs, plus getting a clot in my calf and then into my lung must have made my body wonder what I was doing to it.

“I had never been fitter or stronger than I have this year post football but I knew something wasn’t right and thankfully got it checked.”

Vowles confirmed that he has a long recovery ahead of him again but is thankful to be home, even adding that his Mum is looking after him throughout the recovery.

He has since taken to Instagram to confirm that he up and walking, thanking his surgeon and confirming that a daily walk with now become a morning and evening ritual.

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