Former Liverpool player Warnock hid seizures from club as youth

Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 2 Nov, 07:53 · Archive

Former Liverpool footballer Stephen Warnock says he concealed seizures from the club as a youngster because he feared being released.

Stephen Warnock, the former Liverpool defender who made 67 appearances for the club, has revealed he concealed seizures from the Reds as a youngster because he feared being released.

The 44-year-old, who now works as a pundit for BBC 5 Live, suffered epileptic fits while in Liverpool's youth setup. He said he was 'petrified' of informing the club about his condition, believing they would terminate his contract if they thought he had a health issue that could affect his career.

Warnock experienced his first seizure while at school. He described waking up in a hospital bed with no memory of the event. 'I didn't remember anything, I completely blacked out,' he said. 'My friends told me I started having a seizure. Obviously an ambulance was called and I was taken to a hospital bed. I was embarrassed to be honest, because no-one else had it, no-one knew about it, I didn't know about it until it happened.'

He experienced another seizure in his house and was sent for CT and MRI scans as part of his medical investigation. Warnock said he had no understanding of what triggered his seizures, which deepened his anxiety about disclosing them to Liverpool. 'I was worried about being on the pitch and it happens. There were no triggers for me, I never knew what triggered it,' he explained.

Warnock, who later played for Blackburn Rovers, Aston Villa and Leeds United, has not experienced a seizure since he was 14. Epilepsy affects around one in 100 people in the UK, and according to charity Epilepsy Action, medications can reduce or prevent epileptic seizures, though they require careful management. Warnock made his comments in response to an interview with Hull City midfielder Matt Crooks, who has epilepsy.

How it is being reported

• Ex-Liverpool defender admits hiding epileptic seizures from the club - 'I was embarrassed'Former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock admits he first had an epileptic seizures but never told the Premier League club as he feared being let goMirror Sport · 2 Nov, 07:40
• Former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock reveals he hid seizures from club because he was 'petrified' of being released as youngsterFormer Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock has revealed he hid seizures from the club out of fear that the Reds would axe him. Warnock, 44, played 67 times for the Reds.Daily Mail Sport · 2 Nov, 00:15
• Warnock hid seizures from Liverpool as a youngsterFormer Premier League footballer Stephen Warnock says he hid seizures from Liverpool as a youngster because he feared he would be released.BBC Sport · 1 Nov, 20:32

In this story: Stephen Warnock · Liverpool · Blackburn Rovers · Aston Villa · Leeds United · BBC · Hull City · Matt Crooks

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