Sunday 17 February 2019 12:04, UK
Former England manager Glenn Hoddle has revealed how he was "brought back to life" by the quick action of a special constable's first-aid training, after his heart stopped following a cardiac arrest.
Hoddle collapsed after appearing on BT Sport as a pundit on his 61st birthday in October last year.
A member of BT Sport's production crew, Simon Daniels, used first-aid training to help Hoddle in the moments after the medical incident, and Hoddle was later admitted to St Bartholomew's Hospital.
Following surgery, the former Tottenham and England midfielder responded well to treatment and was able to recuperate at home.
Hoddle has revealed in an interview with The Sun on Sunday how close he had been to not pulling through.
"My heart stopped for at least 60 seconds," he said.
"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.
"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 won 53 caps for England from 1979-88, and as manager he took his country to the 1998 World Cup finals in France
He revealed his "mind has been blown" by the messages of support that he has received after he was taken so seriously ill.
"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."
