Footballer bounces back from cancer to co-found club

A former footballer, Bader Al-Akkad, whose professional aspirations were cut short by cancer, has expressed immense pride in co-founding a Dubai-based club, Phoenix United, which aims to offer "second chances" to aspiring athletes. Al-Akkad, originally from Manchester, was forced to leave Stockport County's academy in 2021 after a diagnosis of Hodgkin lymphoma, effectively ending his dream of a professional contract.

Following his recovery and receiving the all-clear, Al-Akkad, alongside his 27-year-old brother Amer, established Phoenix United. The club is designed to provide both athletic and academic pathways for individuals pursuing their footballing ambitions. Bader, who is currently preparing for Phoenix United's inaugural season in the UAE Third Division, remarked, "It's been a long journey of building... and to take this step now has been a massive achievement for us."

Bader and Amer were born in Manchester to Syrian parents but spent their early childhood in Damascus after their family relocated there. In 2012, they returned to the UK, a year after anti-government protests and a subsequent violent crackdown escalated into conflict in Syria. The family, all Manchester United supporters, sought refuge with relatives in Manchester. Bader recalls flying from Damascus to London on what he believes was the final international flight out of the Syrian capital before services were suspended.

Initially, the family viewed their move as temporary, but as the war intensified, their plans changed. Despite this, Bader maintains a deep connection to his Syrian heritage. "I'm incredibly proud of being Syrian," he stated. "I love most things that Syrians stand for, but also I'm incredibly proud of being from Manchester because Manchester has given us so much whilst being here." He added that his new life in Dubai harmonizes the Middle Eastern and British aspects of his identity.

Football has always been a significant part of Bader's family history; his grandfather was a professional footballer who played for Syria's first national team after the country gained independence from France in 1946. Bader joined Rochdale's youth system at age 12, then moved to Stockport County at 16, remaining there until he was 20. He revealed that he declined multiple invitations from the Syrian Football Association to play for the country's under-15 and under-18 squads, citing moral objections to supporting the government. He felt that accepting would have been "a disrespect to people's memories" and, despite potentially losing out on contracts in Asia, he was glad he had "stuck with my morals."

Bader fondly recalled his four years at Edgeley Park, praising the support he received from County's coaches and staff. "I loved my time at Stockport, I loved everything about it," he said. He finished his first season strongly, believing he was "knocking in and around the first team" and had a chance to progress. His closest involvement with the senior squad came in January 2021, before Stockport's FA Cup third-round match against Premier League West Ham United, where Bader was "in the matchday squad." He was among several academy players who underwent Covid tests to serve as contingency cover if the first-team squad was affected by the virus. "It was a proud moment for me," he reflected.

Bader started the subsequent pre-season well, but by September 2021, he experienced breathing difficulties. GPS monitor data from training sessions showed a drastic decline in his high-intensity running. He was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in October of that year and underwent chemotherapy and radiotherapy. He has now been in remission for four years and has come to terms with the fact that the illness ended his playing career. "I'm very religious. I believe in fate and I made peace with it," he said. "That time has given me so much."

During his recovery, a coach from Rochdale introduced Bader to Joe Thompson, a former midfielder for the club who had twice returned to playing after battling the same cancer. Bader described Thompson, who passed away in April 2025 after a third diagnosis, as being like "a second older brother." "He's the one that pushed me to stay in the game because he thought I had a lot to offer," Bader explained. The two later collaborated on organizing charity matches, while Bader pursued a sports management and business degree in Manchester. Their bond continues through Thompson's widow, Chantelle, who is a director and investor in Phoenix United.

Bader's degree, combined with his passion for the "career mode" in the FIFA video game, fueled his ambition to move into a sporting director role. This ambition has now materialized, as his position at Phoenix United involves overseeing recruitment, squad building, and acting as a liaison between coaches and business operations.

Amer, the club's chief executive, stated that the concept for Phoenix United "started from my brother's story." He emphasized that life extends "not just football" and that the brothers aimed to provide young players with opportunities to continue their education alongside their training. He noted that witnessing his brother's journey after diagnosis highlighted how players are often viewed "more of as an asset or as a liability, not as a person." "We felt there is a need to focus on more than one opportunity," Amer added. "That's why we did the footballing education programme to make sure the young players realise that - in this world - there is more than football."

Phoenix United offers two pathways: a student-athlete program modeled after the US college sports system, where players train full-time while pursuing a degree, or a football-only route. Bader explained that some players pay to join the development program, while others are scouted and funded by the club. The business has franchise agreements with UK and US universities, and its affiliations with Radcliffe FC in Greater Manchester and Silves FC in Portugal may offer additional training and playing opportunities. The club has appointed former Northern Ireland international Jamie Ward as head coach and former Burnley defender Matt Lowton as his assistant.

For Bader, establishing Phoenix United with his brother represents a culmination of his family's footballing legacy and the career he lost to cancer. "It's been a long journey of building... and to take this step now has been a massive achievement for us," he reiterated. "[It's] a real, real proud moment, because to get to what we've got to, especially doing it with your brother at this age, at this stage, is something that makes us immensely proud."