Former Premier League footballer Stephen Warnock says he hid his seizures from Liverpool as a youngster because he feared he would be released. The 44-year-old, who works as a pundit for 5 Live, started his career in Liverpool's youth setup, before going on to make 67 appearances for the club. Speaking on 5 Live in response to an interview with Hull City midfielder Matt Crooks, who has epilepsy, Warnock opened up about his own experience of seizures for the first time. Warnock says he suffered a handful of them while he was a youngster at Anfield, before he "grew out of it".
"I was petrified of telling Liverpool because I was worried of being released," said Warnock. "Because I was thinking 'if they think I've got a condition they will release me'." He described being worried about being on the pitch and it happens, noting there were no triggers for him and he never knew what triggered it, which was what petrified him.
Epilepsy is a brain condition that affects around one in 100 people in the UK. According to charity Epilepsy Action, epilepsy in children is often identified when a child has one or more seizures. Medications can reduce or prevent epileptic seizures but they need careful management. Warnock, who later had spells at Blackburn Rovers, Aston Villa and Leeds United, experienced his first seizure at school. He recounted being at a computer and then waking up in a hospital bed, completely blacking out, and feeling embarrassed because no-one else had it or knew about it.
After experiencing another seizure in his house, he was sent for CT and MRI scans. It went on for three years or so. Warnock, who retired from football in 2018, says he has not had a seizure since the age of 14 but he still worries about it happening again. He noted he was in a fortunate position where he grew out of it, didn't have to go on medication or worry about driving a car, and that it's the first time he's ever really spoken about it.
Source: BBC Sport Football · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing