Wellington's Carlo Armiento has revealed he battled a shock cancer diagnosis that almost derailed his A-League career.

The 26-year-old winger, who has also played with Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide, was told by a specialist to "forget football" and instead concentrate on his health.

Adelaide-born Armiento said he was diagnosed with stage-two Hodgkin's lymphoma in March 2024 after his Phoenix teammate Nikola Mileusnica urged him to see a doctor about a persistent cough.

An x-ray revealed a nine-centimetre mass in his lung.

In a video posted on the Wellington club's website, Armiento said he asked his oncologist about when he could play again and was quickly shut down.

"The first thing I said was 'when can I play football again' and he said, 'don't worry about football'.

"I think that's

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