THE club responsible for nurturing South Australian A-League talent Johnny Koutroumbis has backed the Newcastle Jets youngster to make a full recovery from his cancer diagnosis.

West Adelaide joined an outpouring of support from the soccer community for the 20-year-old defender, who underwent surgery on Monday to remove his thyroid gland.

The Jets on Wednesday confirmed Koutroumbis would be sidelined indefinitely after he was diagnosed with stage one thyroid cancer.

West chairman Alex Alexandrou said the highly-rated prospect had the tenacity and character to overcome the challenge and resume his professional career.

“He’s a great ambassador for our club and he’s a kid that I’d love to have as a son,” said Alexandrou of Koutroumbis, who spent a decade at the National Premier Leagues SA outfit.

“They are very lucky that the medical staff picked it up in the early stage and from all reports the surgery went well.

“The fact that he’s fit and young are all in his favour, and everyone is hoping for a full recovery.

“To have a lad that grew up at our club and is now a professional player, that’s what all clubs strive for and he’s very special for all of us.

“We wish him a speed recovery and everyone at the club sends him their love.”

Koutroumbis began his career at West aged six and made his first team debut for the ex-National Soccer League giant at 15.

Jets football operations manager Joel Griffiths said he would have further treatment in the coming weeks under the supervision of his surgeon and the club’s medical team.

Griffiths said Koutroumbis’ prognosis was positive given the early detection of the cancer.

“Johnny has a wonderful family who are right behind him, but our entire club and the football community will also be with him every step of the way,” Griffiths said.

“We’ve been advised the prognosis is good and this is very treatable, especially given this has been caught so early.

“Johnny originally reported a lump at the base of his neck to (Jets physio) Nathan Renwick and he was sent for scans.

“It’s great that this was able to be found and Johnny can now receive the treatment he needs.

“We won’t be placing any time frames on his recovery at this point, we’re just wanting to make sure he gets all the treatment and support he requires.”

Koutroumbis played an important role in Newcastle’s run to last season’s grand final, after overcoming a hip flexor injury to rack up 13 games and score twice.

The athletic utility, who can play anywhere across the back four and in midfield, had a stint in Adelaide United’s youth ranks in 2015.

He signed for the Jets, initially as an injury-replacement, the following year and has gone on to play 35 matches over the past two seasons.