FOOTBALLER Jonathan Walters has offered up a detailed account of his cancer screening to his Twitter followers.

The Burnley striker spoke for the first time about his mum’s death due to bowel cancer in an emotional interview last year with Clarets fan Tony Livesey on BBC Radio 5Live.

In a candid interview, which was part of a series to celebrate Mother’s Day, Walters opened up about the loss he suffered when he was 13 years old.

Now Mr Walters, 35, who started his career at Blackburn Rovers, has encouraged his Twitter followers to go for regular screenings if they have family members affected by the disease.

He was speaking after he went for a colonoscopy, which is the most effective way to test for bowel cancer, on Monday.

“Yesterday I went for a colonoscopy,” wrote Mr Walters. My Mum, Helen passed away aged 40 of bowel cancer and because of her age I need to be checked regularly for any abnormalities of my bowel. To raise awareness of this monstrous disease I’m going to share my experience.”

And while he admitted in a lengthy account of his colonoscopy screening that it wasn’t a pleasant experience and that bowel cancer is a vile disease, he encouraged others to follow his example.

He concluded: “I’ve shared this with you for a reason. Colonoscopies aren’t a joke and neither is bowel cancer. It’s vile disease that can be prevented with some education and awareness on early signs of the disease. There’s no shame in doing what I’ve done.

“Go on our amazing @nhs website to get any information required and please speak to your GP. It was 23 years ago that my mum passed away. With the advances in medicine since then, I would like to envisage that taking my advice could help save your life.”

Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK, according to charity Bowel Cancer UK.

Almost 42,000 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer every year in the UK.

Bowel cancer is treatable and curable especially if diagnosed early.

Mr Walters received praise on Twitter for raising awareness of his procedure.

He said his next step is to get some genetic tests to see whether my Mum’s bowel cancer could have been passed on genetically.