Wayne Lineker, the brother of former Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker, has revealed he was 'close to death twice' during his battle with chronic pneumonia. The 63-year-old Ibiza club owner spoke candidly about his health struggles on Good Morning Britain on Tuesday, January 6.
Lineker, co-founder of The O Beach Ibiza, said he caught a serious infection in November and was diagnosed with chronic pneumonia, spending seven weeks in hospital. He described a terrifying episode where he woke up unable to move and had to crawl to his phone to call for help. 'I wasn't paralysed, but the pain I was receiving, because it attacked the lower spine and my back, and I managed to crawl to the phone, got out of my bed. It was probably the worst two minutes of my life,' he said.
He also revealed that he had two pneumonia 'attacks' before being discharged from hospital on Boxing Day. Lineker had previously entered rehab for six weeks in July last year and fought seven infections, including shingles. He said his immune system 'crashed' after a stint in rehab, and he decided to go sober earlier this year after 37 years of drinking daily.
Lineker credited his son, Duane, for prompting him to change his lifestyle. 'My son, Duane, called me in the office one day and said to me… because I've got two granddaughters in Ibiza that I pick up regularly from school, and he said to me, I went into the office, and he said, 'Dad, we can't have you picking the girls up from school any more,'' he recalled.
He also mentioned that his brother Gary has been sending him messages and well wishes during his recovery. Lineker is now set to leave hospital after beating pneumonia.
