BARNETT QUITS AS HEART RATE HITS 300bpm

LEON Barnett has revealed an implant in his chest recorded his heartrate at “just under 300 beats per minute” following Northampton Town’s clash with Bury.

That game on October 2 revealed a heart condition and the 32-year-old defender was advised to retire.

Barnett admits he is lucky it was picked up in time and said: “Straight away Northampton handled it well.

“They said ‘we’ll get you in touch with a cardiologist and just go down that route’.

“At that time I didn’t think it was anything too serious. I had a device inserted into my chest and that monitors my heart-rate.

“It happened for a second time at the Bury game and, after that game, once again I started to feel it.

“I went to the cardiologist and they downloaded data from the implant and they found that my heartrate was going just under 300bpm, which is unbelievable.

“They said if I was a normal person in a regular job I would have collapsed or fainted, but because I play football and am quite fit, I managed to stay on my feet. I’m very fortunate they obviously found it.

“It’s a bit of a shock but it could have been a lot worse.”

Barnett made more than 350 appearances during his career and played in all four divisions of the English game for Luton, West Brom, Norwich, Wigan and Bury before joining the Cobblers.