Former Premier League star Neil 'Razor' Ruddock has revealed how he 'technically died' on the operating table during emergency heart surgery.
The retired defender, 52, had a resting rate of 130 beats per minute – instead of 60 or 70 - and required a procedure known as a 'cardioversion' to fix the issue before having a pacemaker fitted.
Ruddock, who played for Premier League clubs including Liverpool, West Ham and Tottenham, admitted the problem arose after years of heavy drinking but insists the surgery saved his life.
The dad-of-four told the Daily Star: 'At my worst I was crazy.