A former Bristol Rovers player who went on to lift the UEFA Cup has received an honorary degree from the University of Bristol.
Ex-Spurs captain Gary Mabbutt, 57, attended a graduation ceremony this afternoon (July 19) in recognition of his sports career and efforts to inspire young people with diabetes.
He told Bristol Live: “To receive an honorary doctorate degree from your home city is something very special.”
Born in Bristol, Mabbutt played over 700 matches for his clubs and England - despite once being told he would never make it to the top of the game because of his type one diabetes.
“When I was playing, I was probably on about four [insulin] injections a day and about 10 blood tests a day,” he said.
The need to carefully manage his blood sugar level meant he always had to keep an eye on the time - and his celebrations after victories would normally end sooner than those of his team mates.
“It affected you in that you had to be very disciplined but, in a way, that helped me because I played my final game in the premier league at 37,” he said.
He added: “It all sounds very complicated but when you’ve been doing it for 40 years it becomes part of your life.”
Mabbutt can only recall two times when he was seriously impacted by his condition, both occasions seeing him slip into a coma.
Thankfully, though, he managed quick recoveries - and he even secured a man-of-the-match award the day after one of those episodes.
But the happiest moments in Mabbutt’s career include receiving a UEFA Cup winner’s medal in 1984 after Spurs beat Anderlecht, lifting the FA Cup as captain in 1991 and gaining 16 full caps for England.
He said: “It was a great career to have. It was wonderful to be able to be involved at a professional level in the game.”
Now a patron of Diabetes UK, Mabbutt spends much of his time reminding young people that they should not view diabetes as a barrier to success.
Asked for his advice to those graduating over the next couple of weeks, the newly-minted Doctor of Laws said: “Go and make a difference in this world - go and make this world a better place.”
