The former Manchester City and Liverpool goalkeeper sympathised with Nigeria's Taiwo Awoniyi
When news broke that Taiwo Awoniyi had been placed in an induced coma after suffering a life-threatening abdominal injury, it triggered a wave of concern, not just among fans but from those who know that kind of trauma all too well.
PAY ATTENTION: Get N1000 free from Bet9ja
Former Premier League goalkeeper Shay Given, who suffered a near-identical injury in 2006, admitted the situation brought back haunting memories.
Given relives his own nightmare
Newcastle legend Shay Given revealed in a recent interview that Awoniyi’s ordeal immediately took him back to his own darkest moment on the pitch.
In a brutal collision with West Ham’s Marlon Harewood nearly two decades ago, Given tore his bowel, an injury his surgeon likened to damage sustained in a high-speed car crash.
The ex-Manchester City star remembered the incident, saying, “When I heard how Awoniyi’s condition deteriorated, I started having flashbacks. It sounds so similar. There’s nothing more painful.”
Given also revealed that his own ordeal involved a delayed ambulance response, emergency surgery, and waking up in a hospital bed with tubes running through his body.
The Irishman went on to make a full recovery and extended his career until the age of 42, but the trauma never left him.
Given refuses to blame medical team for Awoniyi injury
Despite the gory incident, Given was quick to defend Nottingham Forest’s medical staff amid scrutiny over how the incident was handled.
Awoniyi had tried to play on after colliding with the goalpost because Forest had no substitutions left, a situation which has been widely condemned.
Given explained that sometimes the real danger doesn’t become apparent until much later, saying, “If a player says he’s okay, you trust him. There’s no way the doctors could have known how serious it was.”
Nottingham Forest’s owner, Evangelos Marinakis, also stormed the pitch post-match out of concern for Awoniyi’s condition, exchanging words with head coach Nuno Mendes.