Under the microscope

England’s most capped male footballer, Peter Shilton, 73, takes our health quiz

CAN YOU RUN UP THE STAIRS?

NOT at the moment, as I had a left hip replacement in July. Before my hip started hurting I did daily 20-minute runs. Once I’m recovered I’ll start again.

GET YOUR FIVE-A-DAY?

YES. I used to eat more meat but my wife [Steph Hayward, 54, a jazz singer whom he married in 2016] has changed my diet quite a lot, so I eat more fruit and veg now. I love carrots, Brussels sprouts, fresh cabbage and green beans.

EVER DIETED?

NEVER. I weigh only about 7lb more than when I was playing. I’m 6ft 1in and right now I’m about 17st. I’ve got

quite a bit of muscle on me.

ANY VICES?

GAMBLING. I don’t know if watching my dad have a big win on the horses when I was young triggered something, but I always liked it and it gave me a high. The real escalation came when online betting arrived, which enabled me to sit at my computer and gamble for hours. Things only started to change when I met Steph in 2012. It wasn’t easy to stop.

ANY FAMILY AILMENTS?

MY DAD died of a heart attack, aged 93, in 2015. My mum got Alzheimer’s and passed away two years later. I

get my big hands from her.

WORST INJURY?

I SPLIT my eye open once at Wembley when I collided with Des Walker while playing against Brazil in March 1990. It went right down to the bone and was the most painful experience of my life. My hip needing to be replaced has been the biggest thing to go wrong with me physically.

POP ANY PILLS?

I TAKE multivitamins every day for bone and muscle strength.

EVER HAVE PLASTIC SURGERY?

NO WAY. Obviously, I’ve got a younger wife so I’ve got to keep my fitness up, but I’d rather go and train.

COPE WELL WITH PAIN?

I’M PRETTY good, but the last few months before my hip operation I was in horrendous pain. I wouldn’t wish that on anybody.

EVER BEEN DEPRESSED?

AT THE height of my gambling addiction, I was depressed. Playing football masked the impact of gambling, but when I stopped I felt much worse. Sometimes I’d gamble on the internet all day and not finish until 3 am. It slowly started to dawn on me that I might lose Steph if I

didn’t stop.

WHAT KEEPS YOU AWAKE AT NIGHT?

GENERALLY I’m a good sleeper. People ask me if I have sleepless nights over the Maradona ‘hand of God’ goal at the Mexico World Cup in 1986, but I don’t. If he hadn’t cheated, I’d have got the ball.

ANY PHOBIAS?

I REALLY hate snakes.

Peter is supporting the 25th anniversary of GamCare (gamcare.org.uk).