Thompson came through Manchester United’s academy from the age of nine before going on to join Dale, where he spent the majority of his 13-year career.
He also played for Tranmere Rovers, Carlisle United, Southport and Bury.
He was first diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma while at Tranmere in 2013 and was given the all-clear the following year.
After being diagnosed with cancer again in March 2017 during his third spell with Dale, he was able to return to football during the 2017-18 season after being told he was in “complete remission”.
In his finest moment for Rochdale, Thompson scored against Charlton Athletic to secure their place in League One for another season, describing his goal as “written in the stars, fate, destiny”.
Following the end of his playing career, Thompson worked in the media as a pundit as well as mentoring and as a motivational speaker.
In October 2024, he took part in a 21-mile fundraising walk in order to raise awareness of cancer treatments following his third diagnosis.
About 300 people took part in the walk from Manchester United’s Old Trafford stadium to Rochdale’s Crown Oil Arena home.