"CANCER has no colours".

That's the inspirational message as huge stars from the football and sporting world unite to rally around in a show of support for a young Apperley Bridge man diagnosed with blood cancer.

Marcus Rashford, John Stones, Felipe Massa, Ricky Hatton, Bruno and Jamie Vardy are just some of the high-profile names who have gone the extra mile to help Ellis Lee, 20, in his mission to raise funds for the ward he is being treated on at St James’s Hospital in Leeds.

Ellis, a media assistant at Burnley FC, was diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma back in January.

His journey began last year when he found a lump on his neck after suffering a persistent cough. Following a doctor’s appointment in December, he was fast-tracked to hospital for a biopsy and a scan.

After several appointments, tests and scans, he was told he had Hodgkin Lymphoma and the treatment would be a six-month course of chemotherapy, which he began in February.

Ellis, who worked for the Bantams before crossing the border to Turf Moor, is sadly no stranger to cancer. He lost his mum, Gail, to the disease when he was just three-years-old, while his stepmum Sangita has battled breast cancer.

He now wants to raise as much as he can for new facilities at the hospital's Teenage & Young Adult Haematology Ward - and has been bowled over by the level of support he has received.

It all began at with an away game at Old Trafford, when Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær invited Ellis to the changing rooms after the match, where he met players including Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard, Marcus Rashford and David de Gea.

From there, the swell of support for Ellis and his fundraising efforts snowballed.

He's received signed shirts from football stars including Rashford, Bruno, John Stones, Jamie Vardy, Ben Chilwell and Scott McTominay.

Bradford City, Leeds United, Crystal Palace, Bournemouth, Bolton, West Ham, Preston, Accrington, Manchester City, Chelsea, Brighton and Leicester have all done their bit, while Brazilian F1 ace Felipe Massa and former world champion boxer Ricky Hatton have both donated signed memorabilia to aid the fight against cancer.

Burnley boss Sean Dyche and his squad also donated around £1,300 to the cause, which has gone straight into the fundraising coffers. Speaking about the support he has received, Ellis, a former pupil of Benton Park School in Rawdon, said: "Football has come together -cancer has no colours.

"Each club is coming together - it doesn't matter what team it is.

"It has been really good - every week there's something that's getting donated - it's amazing."

Ellis' fundraising efforts will culminate in a charity night at the Malmaison hotel in Leeds on May 5, where there will be raffles, secret prize envelopes and an auction.

And he's been inundated with messages from people wanting to help out.

He said: "I'm getting messages every day from people wanting to buy tickets or get involved. I didn't think it would get this big."

He's already managed to raise more than £3,500 for the Bloodwise charity through a JustGiving page and the charity night is on course to raise thousands of pounds for the hospital ward.

Understandably, Ellis says he was shocked when he first received the news, but is responding well to his chemotherapy treatment and has urged anyone who notices a change in their body to get it checked out. Search Ellis’ Fundraising Night For Ward J94 At St James’ Hospital on Facebook for more.