Stephen Warnock Says He Hid Seizures From Liverpool for Fear of Being Released
Stephen Warnock kept his seizures secret from Liverpool when he was a young player, because he feared he would be let go. The 44-year-old, now a pundit for BBC 5 Live, has told the story publicly for the first time.
A seizure is a sudden burst of electrical activity in the brain. It can cause a person to shake, lose awareness or black out. Warnock says he had his first one at school, while sitting at a computer. He woke up in a hospital bed, having blacked out.
Further seizures followed, including one at home. Doctors sent him for CT and MRI scans, which are medical scans that look at the brain's structure. Warnock says the seizures went on for about three years. He had a handful while he was a youngster at Liverpool, and he says he grew out of them. He has not had one since he was 14.
He kept quiet about them while he came through the club's youth setup. Warnock started his career at Liverpool and made 67 appearances for the club. He later played for Blackburn Rovers, Aston Villa and Leeds United, and retired from football in 2018. Speaking about his past, he said his fear of being released was the reason he stayed silent.
The revelation came on 5 Live during an interview with Matt Crooks, a midfielder with Hull City who has epilepsy, a long-term condition that causes repeated seizures. Warnock says that conversation is what made him speak out. He has never talked about his seizures in public before.
For many fans, the detail that lands hardest is how young he was when he decided to hide it. A teenager who wants a professional career has little room to admit to a health problem he fears will cost him that career. His account shows how much pressure young players can feel to stay quiet about their bodies.
Warnock's disclosure also speaks to anyone who has tried to keep a health worry to themselves. Talking openly about epilepsy, and about the fear that comes with it, is a step many people find hard to take.
