“It got to be very scary,” admitted the 26-year-old Cardiff City midfielder.

“For months I had been feeling tired, was lacking energy and losing muscle.

“I lost a stone in weight and there were a lot of horrible stories going around.

“People were ringing my dad asking if I had leukaemia. I became very depressed.

“I was waking up every morning feeling tired. I was heavy-legged in training and couldn’t even get into a jog.

“At first I thought it was just because I wasn’t fit and kept plugging away.

“But I knew there was something radically wrong during pre-season training.

“We do a lot of running to build stamina but I just couldn’t do it.

“The more I tried, the worse it got and in games I couldn’t get going from the word go. I didn’t feel like playing.

“I started having blood tests. I’ve more holes in me than a pin cushion.

“ It took weeks to find out what was wrong. During that time it seems some people made up their own mind that I was seriously ill.

“It was a worrying time for me. I was clutching at straws and became very depressed.

“From the blood tests doctors couldn’t find what was wrong until about two months ago when a nutritionist suggested it might have something to do with my thyroid.

“Further tests revealed I had an over-active thyroid. The doctor said I could have had it since I was young and it had got progressively worse.

“ It might have been holding me back for a long time. He’s put me on medication for six months to see how things go.

“Already the thyroid is back to normal and I need to keep taking the tablets to maintain that level.

“It’s been a long, hard struggle but I’ve been told I could come back fitter and stronger than ever.

“That’s very encouraging. It’s been so frustrating not being involved this season.

“The team has been winning week in week out and I want to be part of the success.

“I haven’t really played properly for about six months because I missed the last month of last season with a hole in my foot.

“ I haven’t done much training, a couple of weeks on my own and a week with the lads.

“It was great to play for the second half of Tuesday night’s FAW Premier Cup victory over Merthyr Tydfil at Penydarren Park.

“When you play your first game after a long lay-off you are ready to run everywhere.

“I didn’t feel too bad but it will take a while for me to get match fit. We haven’t got a proper reserve league, though.

“That’s a big problem at the moment. There are a lot of players at the club who are just not getting regular games and it’s difficult to impress on the training ground.

“The present squad is much stronger in depth than when we gained promotion two seasons ago.

“I was delighted to make 37 league appearances that season and make the Third Division team of the year chosen by my fellow professionals.

“I’m back to my normal weight of 13st and feel I’m getting stronger all the time.

“Discovering what was wrong with me at last was a huge relief and I’m looking forward to being fit enough to challenge for a first-team place and to be playing a prominent part next season - hopefully back in Division Two.”

Since joining City from Bristol City four years ago, Fowler has made 169 first-team appearances, scoring 20 goals.