Aston Villa ace Jack Grealish reveals how surgeon told him he could DIE after horror injury left kidney split in two
Midfielder left with a kidney split in two and pouring with blood internally for about five hours after soft-looking challenge by Tom Cleverley
JACK GREALISH has revealed the fright, pain and anguish he suffered after his kidney split in two places.
The stylish Aston Villa midfielder hopes to end the season in style with victory over Fulham in next Saturday's League One play-off final.
But last summer a pre-season game against Watford did not just put the 22-year-old in hospital, it left him fearing he may never wake up again.
Grealish was involved in a harmless-looking challenge from former team-mate Tom Cleverley.
But the effect of it left him fearing he may never wake up again.
Grealish told : “I took a kick to the kidney and it split in two places. It was pouring with blood internally for about five hours.
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“It’s the worst pain I’ve ever been in. I went to Heartlands hospital in Birmingham.
"They found out what it was and I was rushed to the Queen Elizabeth for an operation.
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"Before it happened, the surgeon had to tell me the consequences of what could happen if it didn’t work.
“He looked me in the eye and said, ‘Jack, you could die’. My reply was, ‘What?’
“I was genuinely scared. I was expecting to be back inside a week, but it was three or four months.
“I knew Tom Cleverley from our time together at Villa and he couldn’t believe it.
"I spoke to him the morning after the operation and I said, ‘Mate, do you know where I am and what’s happened?’ He couldn’t have been more apologetic.
“I’m a big believer that everything happens for a reason. I came back from that injury a different person.
“I thought about how everything could be taken away from you in such a short space of time.
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"I worked so hard to come back because I missed football. I wanted to be the best I could be.
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"I was in the gym every day and my energy is so much better. I feel stronger, fitter.
"This time last year the manager would have brought me off.
"In the last three months, 95 per cent of the time I’ve played 90 minutes.”