Former Liverpool defender Neil Ruddock has disclosed that his heart stopped three times during a life-saving procedure, and the German surgeon joked he had to Google how to perform the operation. The 58-year-old, who made 152 appearances for Liverpool between 1993 and 1997, underwent surgery to restart his heart and later had a pacemaker fitted after health problems emerged while filming the television show Harry's Heroes in 2019 and 2020.
Health Scare and Surgery
Ruddock described feeling dizzy and faint, unable to walk, with symptoms worsening rapidly. "I started feeling dizzy and faint, and I couldn't walk. It came on in a week - one day I couldn't walk 100 yards, then 50 yards, then I couldn't get up five steps without feeling like I was going to fall over," he said. Rushed to hospital, his heart rate was between 140 and 150 beats per minute at rest, equivalent to marathon pace. Over six months, doctors conducted tests before stopping and restarting his heart.
Ruddock recalled the surgeon's dark humor: "He said 'Razor, we're going to stop your heart and restart it. If it doesn't restart after seven times, you're a goner - and it's the first time I've done it. You'll be okay, I've Googled it'. Third time it was! Thankfully it restarted." He then needed a pacemaker because his heart was stopping during the night. Afterward, he had a gastric sleeve to lose weight and reduce pressure on his heart.
FA Cup Final Heartbreak
Ruddock also opened up about being dropped for the 1996 FA Cup final against Manchester United. Despite playing in the quarter-final, semi-final, and last six league games, manager Roy Evans told him days before the match he would not be in the squad. "The manager said he'd name the team, but he kept putting it off," Ruddock said on The Jeff Stelling Show. "Then on the Friday he just said 'I don't know how to say this' and walked away. I was in tears. The worst part was ringing my dad. Having to tell him I wasn't playing was the toughest thing I've ever had to do."
He added: "Playing in an FA Cup final at the old Wembley in front of your dad was the greatest thing you could do. It broke my heart. That's when I went straight into the dressing room, and there was a big fridge of beer, and I just started drinking. I'd done nothing wrong. Looking back, that was the fuse - that's when the drinking really started, and the injuries came."
Life After Football
Ruddock, who won the League Cup with Liverpool, has since shed significant weight after years of heavy drinking and unhealthy eating. His health scares have prompted a lifestyle change, including the gastric sleeve procedure. He continues to speak about his experiences, highlighting the physical and emotional toll of professional football.
