Former Premier League footballer Stephen Warnock has revealed that he hid his seizures from Liverpool as a young man because he feared he would be sacked. Warnock, who now works as a commentator for 5 Live, spoke openly about his experience with seizures for the first time, responding to an interview with Hull City midfielder Matt Crooks, who has epilepsy.
Warnock began his career in Liverpool’s youth academy, where he made 67 appearances, and says he suffered several seizures while a young man at Anfield. He experienced his first seizure at school. "I was at the computer and then I woke up in a hospital bed. And I was like, wow, how did I get here? I didn’t remember anything, I had completely blacked out," Warnock said. "My friends told me I had started having a seizure. Apparently, the ambulance was called and I was taken to a hospital bed."
Warnock, who is now 44 years old, described the sense of shame that accompanied him. "I was embarrassed, honestly, because no one else had it, no one knew about it, I didn’t know about it until it happened," he said. Fear particularly plagued him on the pitch. "I was terrified to tell Liverpool because I was afraid they would sack me. Because I thought if they thought I had a condition, they would let me go," he said. "I was worried that I would be on the pitch and it would happen. There were no triggers for me, I never knew what set it off. That terrified me."
After another seizure at his home, he was sent for CT and MRI scans, which he says took three years or so. Warnock notes that he "grew out of" the seizures and has not had one since the age of 14, but he still worries it might happen again. "I was in a fortunate position to have grown out of it. I didn’t have to go on medication or worry about driving a car or similar things. This is the first time I have ever really spoken about it," he said.
Epilepsy is a brain condition that affects approximately one in 100 people in the United Kingdom. According to the charity Epilepsy Action, epilepsy in children is often recognised when a child has one or more seizures. Medication can reduce or prevent epileptic seizures, but it needs to be managed carefully.
Warnock played for Blackburn Rovers, Aston Villa and Leeds United after leaving Liverpool, and retired from football in 2018.
