England hero and former Newcastle United player Stuart Pearce.
England hero and former Newcastle United player Stuart Pearce.
Former Newcastle United and England defender Stuart Pearce suffered a medical emergency while on board a flight back to the United Kingdom.
The 62-year-old had been in Las Vegas after spending time watching his beloved Warrington Wolves play in the United States. The rugby league team had been across the pond taking part in a special weekend showcasing the sport in Nevada, where they lost to Wigan Warriors 48-24 on Saturday, March 1.
Pearce was joined by his wife on the trip, but he suffered health complications on their journey home, with the flight being diverted to Canada for an emergency landing. Once the plane landed, medics soon rushed on board and took the ex-England international to hospital, where he's now recovering.
The flight - which left Las Vegas on Sunday evening - ended up landing at London Heathrow with the remaining passengers at 6.15pm on Monday evening - six hours later than planned.
He had been due to speak at at Christ The King Parish Centre in Coventry on Thursday night. However, the venue announced that owing "to unforeseen circumstances" he had been replaced by ex-England teammate John Barnes.
Despite spending his life immersed in all things football, retirement also saw Pearce take a keen interest in rugby league. Speaking in recent years, the England hero admitted he had been hooked by the sport.
"The technicalities of the game, the real nuances are probably lost on me compared to the real rugby fans - but I'm learning," Pearce said. "I just love the sport - it's such a fantastically untapped sport in the south of England.
"I think that's a shame and it should have more exposure than it has. There's the genuineness of it - the players' endeavours on the pitch are so honest it's incredible - and the camaraderie between the fans. It's a sport you can get hooked on very easily.
Pearce made 37 appearances for Newcastle across two seasons at the club - while also featuring for West Ham United, Manchester City, Coventry City and Nottingham Forest.