Former 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 Liverpool and has transitioned into broadcasting since retiring from playing in 2018.
He suffered from a number of epileptic fits as a youngster – a condition that affects around one in every 100 people.
Warnock never understood what was causing his seizures and told 5 Live: ‘I was petrified of telling Liverpool because I was worried about being released. Because I was thinking “if they think I’ve got a condition they will release me”.
‘I was worried about being on the pitch and it happens. There were no triggers for me, I never knew what triggered it. That was what petrified me.’
Warnock experienced the seizures for around three years and underwent a number of tests including a CT and MRI scan.
Stephen Warnock, pictured working as a broadcaster, revealed he suffered from seizures
The former Liverpool defender, pictured in action for the Reds back in 2005, said he was terrified of telling the club about his health issue
‘I was at a computer and then I woke up in a hospital bed,’ he went on. ‘And I was like “wow, how have I got here?”. I didn’t remember anything, I completely blacked out.
‘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.’
The risk of having a seizure can be reduced with medication and Warnock has not experienced one since he was 14.
‘I was in a fortunate position where I grew out of it,’ he said.
‘I didn’t have to go on medication or worry about driving a car or things like that. It’s the first time I’ve ever really spoken about it.’
Warnock, a left-back, departed Liverpool in 2007 and went on to play for Aston Villa, Leeds and Derby among other sides.
He has appeared on a number of television channels while working as a pundit, including the BBC, Sky Sports, BT Sport, NBC and DAZN.
