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Footballers Who Have Suffered From Medical Illnesses

Footballers are famous and known around the world, but at the end of the day, they are human like all of us. Many footballers have gone through different kinds of illnesses and fought through and recovered from them. These footballers now inspire people suffering from similar illnesses. This article talks about footballers who have faced severe illnesses like cancer, cardiac arrest, and mental health issues.

Who Are Some Footballers Who Have Suffered From Medical Illnesses?

Eric Abidal – Liver Cancer 

The man who fought cancer , twice.

-Eric Abidal pic.twitter.com/LkZWrdYMlm

— FootballFunnys (@FootballFunnnys) February 6, 2017

Eric Abidal was at the top of the world. He had won three consecutive league titles with Lyon before joining FC Barcelona. He then became a very key player for Pep Guardiola’s team and won a treble in just his second season with the club. However, all of this came crashing down when he was diagnosed with a tumour in his liver.

Despite being diagnosed with a deadly condition, he continued playing with the diagnosis. He featured in the Champions League final against Manchester United in the 2010/11 season. The footballer helped Barcelona beat Manchester United, and club captain Carles Puyol decided to hand him the armband, and Abidal lifted the Champions League trophy in front of 85,000 fans.

In March 2012, Eric Abidal had to get an emergency liver transplant. This surgery, however, ended up being successful. Abidal made a full recovery from his cancer diagnosis and returned to football. He ended his football career in December 2014 while playing for Olympiakos.

Christian Eriksen – Cardiac Arrest

🚨🇩🇰 Christian Eriksen on life after he suffered a cardiac arrest:

“I started to enjoy my life with my kids, my family a bit more than what I did before. A bit more relaxed with everything, not as nervous as I was before. … Life is very good! Life is important.” ❤️ pic.twitter.com/mf7uRhqvJP

— UtdPlug (@UtdPlug) May 9, 2023

Christian Eriksen’s cardiac arrest is one of the most horrific incidents to occur in football recently. This happened when he was playing for Denmark in Euro 2020. In the opening game between Denmark and Finland, Christian Eriksen collapsed on the pitch. The medics were instantly waved onto the pitch after seeing that Eriksen was not responding after collapsing on the pitch.

Eriksen received life-saving treatment on the field, eventually being resuscitated and taken to hospital. The doctors on the field said that he was gone and had to be resuscitated. The Danish players were in extreme disarray and could be seen guarding Eriksen, who was fighting for his life. However, despite this sombre incident, the story takes a very happy turn.

The Denmark star made a full recovery from his cardiac arrest. He was fitted with an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) device and was cleared to play professional football again. Just 259 days after his collapse, Eriksen made his return to football after signing with Premier League side Brentford. The footballer had a successful spell at Brentford and signed for football giants Manchester United in July 2022. He continues to play for them to this day without any problems.

Andres Iniesta – Depression

🎙️ Andrés Iniesta: "When I was struggling with depression, my most enjoyable part of the day was when I took my pill and went to sleep at night. You lose joy from life, from everything. I hugged my wife, but it felt like hugging a pillow. You feel nothing." 💔😔 pic.twitter.com/jT1kdQo4Nq

— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) October 22, 2022

Depression is something which can be extremely harmful for any individual. It is a very serious mental illness and can interfere with the affected person’s daily activities. Many footballers have suffered from depression, one of the most notable ones being Andres Iniesta. He spoke about this in his book “The Artist: Being Iniesta”.

Iniesta revealed that he had been suffering from depression since childhood. While he was at FC Barcelona, there was a lot of pressure and expectations on the footballer. At times, the footballer struggled to cope with such expectations and found it very difficult to shoulder such responsibilities. All this pressure eventually led to feelings of anxiety and depression.

The Spanish midfielder sought help for his medical condition and managed the symptoms with therapy and medicine. The support of his friends and family also helped him in his journey. Andres Iniesta has also become a global ambassador for the World Health Organization (WHO). He now helps promote mental health awareness.

Arjen Robben – Testicular Cancer

Credit: Sky Sports

Arjen Robben is known for his footballing abilities and his achievements. However, many people don’t know that the talented winger was diagnosed with testicular cancer when he was just 20 years old. The footballer was diagnosed with cancer very soon after his arrival in London to join Chelsea in 2004. Robben said he noticed a lump and went to the doctor to get it checked out. The Dutchman has even spoken about this terrible time in his career. He said:

“I found a little lump and went to the doctor. He told me I needed an operation. I then had to wait for the results, and I didn’t know if it was going to be good or bad news. The waiting was terrible for a few days. I didn’t know what was going to happen to me. It was a horrible wait, then I heard the news was good and it was a massive relief.”

“At that time football was no longer important – the most important thing is to be healthy and for your family to be healthy. Football is my life, but my family’s health is the most important thing in the world.”

Ilker Casillas – Cardiac Arrest

Nine months after having a heart attack, Iker Casillas is almost completely recovered 🙌 pic.twitter.com/FhkQpwEkmA

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) January 25, 2020

Ilker Casillas had a life-changing incident in 2019. The Spanish keeper was playing for FC Porto at the time. He was having a regular training session when, all of a sudden, he felt some pain in his chest. He described the feeling he was having as ‘being at the bottom of a two-metre-deep swimming pool, wanting to get out and not being able to.’

The doctors confirmed that he was having a heart attack, and Casillas was rushed to the hospital. He was catheterised at the hospital, and this ended up saving his life. The legendary goalkeeper has spoken about having a heart attack. He said:

“Heart problems can be prevented, detected and treated. Everyone accepts having prostate, breast or colon screening as something quite normal. But very few people take heart care and checkups seriously. After my own experience, I believe it’s extremely important to tell people about what happened to me. The same thing could happen to anyone, even if we think it’s impossible.”

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Michael Carrick – Depression

Michael Carrick has revealed that he battled with depression after the 2009 UCL final. pic.twitter.com/srX3LuMjGT

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) October 9, 2018

 

Michael Carrick is another footballer who suffered from depression during his career. The player is regarded as a spectacular midfielder and has won the Champions League and Premier League with Manchester United, but mental illness does not see all this. It can affect anyone and everyone, and that is exactly what happened to Michael Carrick.

In his autobiography, ‘Between the Lines’, the footballer spoke about his struggles with anxiety and depression. He fought with depression following Manchester United’s loss to Barcelona in the 2008/08 Champions League final. He faced problems which were affecting his daily activities. Carrick said he came very close to quitting football during this tough period.

Michael Carrick now works with the Manchester United Foundation to promote mental health awareness. He wants to spread awareness amongst both players and the general public. He said he spoke about his struggles with depression as he wanted to show the importance of players seeking help when required and that there is no shame in admitting to having a mental illness.

Sebastian Haller – Testicular Cancer

Credit: Arunava about Football

Sebastian Haller is another footballer who overcame cancer and returned to football. The striker was diagnosed with testicular cancer in July 2022, right after he joined Borussia Dortmund from Ajax. Haller had to go through two surgeries and a series of rounds of chemotherapy before making a recovery. Six months later, Haller returned for BVB, making an appearance from the bench after fully recovering from cancer.

His story does not stop here. The footballer represented Ivory Coast in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in 2024. He scored just two goals in the competition, but his second goal ended up being the all-important goal. Ivory Coast was 1-0 down against Nigeria in the AFCON 2023 final. Franck Kessie scored in the 62nd minute to bring Ivory Coast and start the comeback. In the 81st minute, something wonderful happened. Sebastian Haller scored to make it 2-1 and win the AFCON title for his nation. 

Sebastian Haller went from being diagnosed with cancer to scoring the winner in the final to help his nation win the AFCON title. Fairytale endings do not get better than this. You can consider this as some kind of reward for everything Haller endured on his road to recovery.

Jesse Lingard – Depression

Jesse Lingard opened up on suffering with depression at Man United 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/969xhd8Rvu

— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) November 14, 2022

Jesse Lingard plays for FC Seoul. He has also played for various English clubs, such as Leicester City, Birmingham City, Brighton, Derby County, West Ham, and Nottingham Forest. His most notable stint, however, came as a Manchester United star. The footballer played for the club from 2011 to 2022, making a total of 232 appearances.

In 2021, the footballer opened up about his struggles with depression and how he felt isolated while playing for Manchester United. Lingard revealed how consulting a therapist while also working with a sports psychologist side by side helped him in managing all the symptoms.

Lingard also wrote an op-ed for Players Tribune. In it, he discussed his mental health issues and how he managed to get past such a hard time in his life. The player stressed the importance of seeking help no matter who you are and what you are going through.

Brooke Aspin – Sepsis

Credit: The Mirror

Brooke Aspin is the first and only female to feature on this list. The young English star went through a horrific incident in the summer of 2022. She was struggling with a groin injury, but this soon turned into an inability to walk. She was rushed to the hospital by her mother, where Aspin was diagnosed with a bone infection, a blood clot, and sepsis.

Sepsis is a life-threatening condition which needs immediate intensive care. Brooke Aspin spent over three weeks in the hospital, a week of which was in intensive care. It took her body six months to recover fully, but thankfully, she made a full recovery and returned to action for Bristol City. The footballer made her return and helped Bristol City make their final charge for the Women’s Championship title. They won the league and won promotion to the Women’s Super League.

Christian Pulisic – Depression

 

Credit: Chelsea Football Club

Christian Pulisic is another footballer who struggled with depression during his career as a footballer. The major source of depression for Pulisic was the injuries which were keeping him out of the squad. He said he felt frustrated and helpless when he was injured and on the sidelines. He sought help and support during this time, which helped him manage his symptoms.

Pulisic has been vocal about mental health issues and has even participated in a mental health campaign for the English Football Association, during which he shared his experiences and how he overcame his mental illness.

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