Rufer ‘full of beans’ after heart attack

AUCKLAND: New Zealand football great Wynton Rufer has emerged from a coma after suffering a heart attack on Sunday.

The 56yearold former All Whites striker confirmed to Radio Sport that he was ‘‘walking with a Lime scooter’’ after attending the New Zealand Breakers’ NBL match against the Perth Wildcats at Auckland’s Spark Arena when he suffered a mild heart attack.

Rufer, who was with friend Florian Wellmann at the time, said he was expected to make a full recovery.

His brother, Shane, told NZME Wynton should be out of hospital within the next three or four days.

‘‘It was a huge shock for the family but now we are rejoicing.

‘‘After the basketball game, he was heading up to Parnell on a Lime scooter. His heart just stopped and he was falling off this thing.

‘‘The friend he was with wasn’t sure what to do . . . but he did the most important thing. He yelled out ‘help help’.

‘‘People came running. There were some neighbours. Some people jumped out of a car. A stranger started CPR and that probably saved his life.

‘‘Wynton is good. He’s full of beans, cracking a few jokes. He’s feeling good. You would if you have a cardiac arrest and you come back to life.’’

Rufer became a household name when he was added to the All Whites late in their bid to qualify for the 1982 World Cup in Spain, instantly making a presence on the field.

His showings in the All Whites jersey led to his being snapped up by Swiss clubs FC Aarau and Grasshoppers.

He then starred for glamour German team Werder Bremen from 1989 to 1995.