HE IS one of the most admired and respected people in the football world but Adam Ramanauskas says feeling like just another footballer was a key factor that got him through his cancer battles.

Ramanauskas was diagnosed with low-grade cancer in 2003 and had a benign tumour removed. The cancer recurred and he had to undergo six months of chemotherapy before returning to play for Essendon in 2007.

Speaking on the eve of the fourth annual Clash for Cancer match between Essendon and Melbourne, the former Bomber says being a part of a team environment helped him through his tough times.

“When you’re playing football you just want to be one of the boys and you don’t want to be treated any differently,” Ramanauskas said.

“That was the great thing I had when I was still playing at the footy club. I wasn’t treated any differently – I was one of the boys and part of the team.”

Never one to draw attention to himself, Ramanauskas admits he struggles to cope with the adulation that has come his way after twice fighting cancer.

“It does sit a little bit uneasy with me,” he said. “At times I feel embarrassed about it.

“I guess I’ve got to look at it from a bigger picture. If I can help people in their own experiences with going through cancer and do my little part, that is what I want to do out of this.”

The 28-year-old said he was proud his former club took part in the match and raised awareness of cancer by wearing yellow arm bands and adding a dash of yellow to their jumpers for the match.

Ramanauskas retired last year but will be involved in the match in his new role as Essendon runner.

“To be involved within the football club still and be a small part of the inner sanctum and to be involved in a game like this has a lot of significance to me and to other people,” he said.

“We want 40-50,000 people there on Friday night because sometimes it is not about football. It is sometimes a bigger picture in life and one of those things is your health.

 “It is something that the football club has pushed along with their partnership with the Cancer Council of Victoria, which is into its fourth year now.

“The stats don’t lie and the stats are that one in two males before they are 80 will contract some form of cancer.”