Stephen Warnock has revealed that he suffered several seizures while at Anfield but was too petrified to tell Liverpool
Stephen Warnock
Stephen Warnock
Stephen Warnock has been reflecting on his earliest days at Liverpool, the club where his career began.
The left-back was born in Ormskirk and joined Liverpool in 1996. He signed professional terms on 27 April 1999.
Warnock made his first-team debut against Grazer AK on 10 August 2004, in a Champions League qualifier. Before that, he impressed on loan at Coventry City and was voted the club’s Fans’ Player of the Season for 2003-04.
His only Liverpool goal came in the 90th minute of a 5-1 win over Fulham at Anfield on 15 March 2006. He made 67 appearances for the Reds before leaving for Blackburn Rovers in January 2007.
At Blackburn, Warnock made 88 league appearances and was voted the club’s Player of the Year for 2008-09. He joined Aston Villa on a four-year contract in 2009 and won two England caps. He made 212 Premier League appearances in all, according to Sports Illustrated.
Now 44, Warnock has spoken about a part of his Liverpool years that he kept hidden at the time. He told BBC Radio 5 Live that he suffered seizures as a youngster and never told the club.
It is the first time he has spoken publicly about his own experience. He did so in response to an interview with Hull City midfielder Matt Crooks, who has epilepsy.
Warnock said he suffered a handful of seizures while at Anfield before he “grew out of it”. He said they continued “for three years or so”.
“I was petrified of telling Liverpool because I was worried of being released,” Warnock said. “Because I was thinking ‘if they think I’ve got a condition they will release me’.”
The uncertainty added to his fear. “I was worried about being on the pitch and it happens,” he said.
“There were no triggers for me, I never knew what triggered it. That was what petrified me.”
Warnock has said his first seizure happened at school while he was using a computer. After another at home, he had CT and MRI scans. His last seizure came at the age of 14, and he has not had one since.
Epilepsy is a neurological condition that affects around one in 100 people in the UK. Medication can help control or prevent seizures, but treatment requires careful management.
Warnock went on to play for Blackburn Rovers, Aston Villa and Leeds United, and retired in 2018. He now works as a pundit for BBC Radio 5 Live.
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