Wrexham's Ben Tozer has opened up on his sorrow after his father died suddenly of leukaemia just months following the club's promotion back to the EFL.
The ex-Newcastle United defender led the Red Dragons to the National League championship last season to ensure their place in League Two after 15 years away. However, amid jubilant scenes of celebration as they lifted the title, Tozer had a gut feeling something was not right with his father.
Although his dad had travelled to North Wales to witness the star's crowning moment, the Wrexham captain had noticed a pattern in his behaviour emerging. Even after their 3–1 win against Boreham Wood which sealed their EFL return, his dad left the ground early.
Tozer has now explained that he understands why his father was avoiding him after it transpired that he was suffering from the effects of leukaemia. In an interview with the BBC, he said: "He would come to the games up here and would drive up with my uncle.
"He was here the day we won the league, which was amazing for me. He'd come to the games but he'd always get off before I got out, which I found a bit of a red flag.
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"He wasn't well but I never got to see him and it was almost as if he was hiding from me, which now I know why. I went to a friend's funeral at the end of last season and one of the guys my dad worked with said 'I saw your dad and he didn't quite seem the same."
The centre-back noted that his brother and his wife had raised concerns regarding his dad's health previously and he had said that he would get himself checked out. However, to the family's anguish, he would eventually die only days after being diagnosed with the illness in July.
Wrexham captain Ben Tozer has described his anguish following the death of his father (Matthew Ashton - AMA/Getty Images)His father's sudden deterioration meant that would make the 500-mile journey back to Plymouth to see him in hospital for the last time. Wrexham's manager Phil Parkinson intervened to ensue that Tozer had a first-class ticket on a train journey down to Devon.
Eventually, he would head down to the south coast to be with his family, where he was able to see his dad 'just before they switched everything off'. He would then spend another day in Plymouth, making arrangements for his father's belongings at his house before heading back up north.
Tozer would then join up with his teammates for their tour of the US, where the North Wales outfit would take on the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United. Explaining his mindset at the time, he added: "I felt 'right I've got a job to do, I've got to do this, crack on'.
"I didn't even think about it, I was so busy. It was one thing after another. I suppose if I was home, what would I do? Just cry? So I might as well just crack on."
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