I COULD HAVE DIED ON PITCH
Urgent heart op saved Connor’s career
BRIGHTON defender Connor Goldson says he could have died while playing had he not discovered he urgently needed a heart operation.
The 24-year-old has revealed the terrifying moment he was left in floods of tears and fearing for his career after being told he had an enlarged aorta.
The centre-back immediately went under the knife and is now preparing for an emotional Premier League bow with newlypromoted Seagulls.
Goldson said: “I had a swollen aorta – it was a little bit bigger than the average person’s.
“I could have carried on playing and it could have carried on growing and maybe nothing would have happened. But if something did happen you wouldn’t have been able to tell what was going on. It would have been death straight away on a football pitch, no chance of resuscitation or anything.
“Once I’d seen a specialist I had to get it done. I missed three months of the season – a lot of people miss that with a knee injury.”
Goldson capped an amazing recovery by making his comeback in Brighton’s 2-0 friendly win over German club Fortuna Dusseldorf in Austria on Friday.
Recalling how he was given the shattering news, Goldson said: “I was crying my eyes out. I thought at the time my career could be over. I thought the world had ended.
“But once I talked to a surgeon I always knew I was going to come back and play. He said there was no doubt so I had no doubts in my mind.
“When I got the news I thought it would be a really tough time but everyone made me feel such a part of the group still, and at every game I attended my song was sung by the fans.
“I did worry that I wouldn’t be so involved but I was delighted to be a part of the promotion. It’s such a special club, a one-city club, and you could see that with the celebrations and with the number of people who came out for the parade. It was not a day any of the boys will ever forget.”
And he singled out club doctor Stephen Lewis for thanks.
“He was there from day one for me,” he said.