Tottenham legend Glenn Hoddle suffered a cardiac arrest last October while working as a pundit on BT Sport, before being rushed to St Bartholomew’s Hospital for emergency treatment.
Luckily a member of BT Sport’s production crew, Simon Daniels, used first-aid training in the moments immediately following the incident.
61-year-old Hoddle has since then had surgery and has been recovering well at home. The former England manager has now opened up about his experience.
The Spurs legend has revealed to The Sun that he wouldn’t be alive if not for the production engineer: “My heart stopped for at least 60 seconds. I was gone. The engineer ran to me and brought me back to life.
“I wouldn’t be here if not for him. It just wasn’t my time to go.
“Robbie (Savage) and I had been playing the ‘keepy-uppy’ game at the end of the programme. Robbie said that after the credits rolled I was just at the moment of volleying the ball back to him when I fell backwards and smashed my head on the floor.
“It’s ironic that, if I had died, the last thing I would have done on this earth was kick a ball.
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“What a way to go. It could have happened on live TV. The timing of everything on the day was incredible.
“Thank God first-aider Simon was nearby and got to me so quickly. If he had been in the toilet, or left the studio, or not on duty, I would not be here to tell my story.”
Hoddle also claimed that he was completely unaware of the media attention surrounding the incident, and that he was overwhelmed by the messages of support he received while in hospital and recovery. He also reiterated how lucky he was to still be alive.
He added, “I was unaware of all the attention and scrutiny about what happened, I am so humbled by it,” said Hoddle, who is helping support a campaign by the British Heart Foundation to get defibrillators bought for grassroots football clubs across the country.
“It’s uplifting, and getting so many positives has been a big part in my recovery.
“Despite what happened to me, I feel the luckiest man alive. I’m so grateful to still be here.”
We at Spurs Web would like to wish Hoddle all the best as he continues his recovery.
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