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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Neil Etheridge recalls battle with COVID-19, says situation was 'extremely scary'

Neil Etheridge recalls battle with COVID-19, says situation was 'extremely scary'

Published Aug 28, 2021 07:57 am

Neil Etheridge

Neil Etheridge revealed that he was told by doctors that the situation could have been a lot worse during his recent bout with COVID-19.

The Philippine Azkals veteran and current Birmingham City goalkeeper said the situation was “extremely scary” after testing positive for the coronavirus during his English Football League Championship club’s training camp in Scotland.

Etheridge had to spend several days at a Birmingham hospital, even being placed under ICU when he was struggling to breathe on his own.

“The doctors said to me that ‘If that was 18 months ago at the start of this pandemic, we don’t know if we’ve been able to pull you through. It would be down to your body, it wouldn’t be down to us,’” Etheridge said when he spoke for the first time about his ordeal in an interview with the club’s media outfit BluesTV.

“‘We didn’t have the drugs, we didn’t have the steroids, we didn’t know if the oxygen was working a hundred percent,’” Etheridge added, recalling what he was told then. “And that really struck a chord, that really hit home that I am one of the fortunate ones to get out of this. But there are many that have passed away in exactly the same situation that I was in.”

Etheridge has since recovered and made his season debut for Birmingham City recently in a 2-0 home defeat to former club Fulham in the second round of the Carabao Cup. He previously missed the club’s first five matches of the season, including four in the EFL Championship.

The 31-year-old obviously lost a considerable amount of body weight and had to do plenty of work to get himself back in shape.

“There was a lot of hardwork and a lot of long days. It wasn’t an easy process to get back to where I am today. Always thankful for everyone in this football club (Birmingham City) to get me through it,” he said.

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