Ex-Man Utd ace Poborsky was ‘one day away’ from death after discovering brain injury
FORMER Manchester United star Karel Poborsky has shockingly revealed he was "one day" away from dying.
Poborsky, who lit up Old Trafford for two seasons between 1996 and 1998, was diagnosed with a brain infection in the summer of 2016.
Incredibly, it could have come after a tick burrowed in his beard BIT him.
Thankfully the 47-year-old survived the operation, but was forced to wear a mask to protect his eyes afterwards.
Speaking to , Poborsky, who won the Euros in 1996 with the Czech Republic, said: "I arrived at the hospital one day later than I did, this interview would not happen.
"I arrived at the hospital too late to find out the root of the infection; they put me straight into a coma.
"After I woke up, they asked me what my name was and the seven times table.
"All of my face muscles were paralysed – it was an infection of the brain.
I couldn’t eat, I had to keep my eyes covered because I was so sensitive to light
Karel Poborsky
"I spent three weeks quarantined in hospital on powerful antibiotics, directly to the veins.
"I couldn’t eat, I had to keep my eyes covered because I was so sensitive to light. I was very scared."
It is believed the former footballer - who is now healthy - contracted Lyme Disease.
And he isn't the only sports star to catch Lyme disease.
Former England captain Matt Dawson had to undergo heart surgery after being bitten by a tick while taking a stroll in Britain.
And high-profile Hollywood stars including Ben Stiller and Richard Gere have been struck down with the devastating condition over the years.
Lyme Disease itself is a bacterial infection that is spread to humans by infected ticks.
Most Read In Football
The most common sign of infection is a circular red skin rash around the initial tick bite.
But not everyone gets the rash, with other side effects including high temperature, headaches, muscle and joint pain, as well as tiredness.
Doctors usually prescribe a months-worth of antibiotics to fight the disease, but some sufferers can go years of suffering from Lyme Disease symptoms.
