Warnock reveals he hid seizures at Liverpool as a teenager
Stephen Warnock says he concealed seizures during his time in Liverpool's youth setup, fearing the club would release him, and has spoken about the condition publicly for the first time.
Former Premier League defender Stephen Warnock has said he hid seizures from Liverpool while coming through the club's youth setup because he feared being released. The 44-year-old, now a pundit for 5 Live, made the disclosure in response to an interview with Hull City midfielder Matt Crooks, who has epilepsy. Warnock said it was the first time he had spoken about his own experience.
Warnock, who went on to make 67 appearances for Liverpool before spells at Blackburn Rovers, Aston Villa and Leeds United, said he had a handful of seizures as a youngster at Anfield before he "grew out of it". He described being "petrified" of telling the club, believing a condition could lead to his release, and said he never knew what triggered the episodes.
He recalled his first seizure at school, saying he blacked out at a computer and woke in a hospital bed with no memory of what happened. Friends told him he had had a seizure and an ambulance was called. He said he felt embarrassed because no one else around him had experienced it. After another seizure at his house, he was sent for CT and MRI scans, and the episodes continued for around three years.
Warnock, who retired in 2018, said he has not had a seizure since the age of 14 and did not need medication or face restrictions such as those affecting driving. He added that he still worries about it happening again.
His comments came after Crooks, the Hull City midfielder, discussed living with epilepsy. According to the charity Epilepsy Action, epilepsy in children is often identified when a child has one or more seizures, and medication can reduce or prevent seizures but requires careful management. Epilepsy affects around one in 100 people in the UK, the article states.
Image: Getty Images / BBC Sport
