Modern medicine has come a long way and now there are players who have had problems with their hearts, and they can make a good career in football. Playing with such a severe heart problem sometimes puts them up against the wall, but determination makes them less difficult to beat.
There have been a lot of talks lately about these problems because many teams see it as irresponsible for a player to be a risk, especially because at any moment they can fall or retire, but footballers are ultimately responsible and know when to stop.
Entering http://bookmaker-ratings.ng/ is an excellent idea for betting on the next World Cup or your favourite league. There you will find the highest odds with the best places to place a bet in the safest way.
Let’s take a look at some of the best players who have managed to overcome a heart condition to become world-class stars.
Sergio Aguero
The Argentinian is a Manchester City and Argentina international who has had an exceptional career. He made his debut at the age of 16 for Independiente and from his very first day, it was known that he would be one of those players who would make history, because of his quality and charisma.
From the time he was on the youth team at Independiente, doctors detected an arrhythmia in his heart. It was controlled so that he could have a good football career. In England, he was again treated by the best doctors and his condition never gave him a problem.
It wasn’t until his arrival at Barcelona when, in a La Liga game against Alavés, he scared everyone. He started to feel a lot of pain in his chest and immediately teammates and rivals went to his aid because they didn’t want a tragedy to happen there at the Camp Nou.
Aguero came on as a substitute and immediately went to the hospital when doctors told him that his problem had worsened and that he was advised to retire from football at the age of 33.
During the announcement of his retirement, he was seen to be very sad because he wanted to succeed in the culé team. His outstanding career remains evidence of his quality and effort to control his illness.
Cristian Eriksen
Eriksen was a real surprise. How can we forget the dreadful episode in last year’s European Championship when, in the first group game against Finland, the midfielder collapsed because he had a heart attack.
After a quick response by the medical services and even the players themselves, the talented player saved his life. He was out for a few months and Inter Milan paid him his contract thinking he would retire, but his willpower was stronger and he trained to come back.
Because of his condition, many teams did not want to give him a contract, it was Brentford who, after many medical tests, gave him a contract. He showed an extraordinary level and passed all the constant checkups that the doctors put him through.
His football has now taken him to Manchester United where he is back to his best and will surely be in the national team with the number 10 shirt on his back, orchestrating Denmark’s midfield. His heart injury has been controlled and the arrhythmia that was detected is no longer life-threatening. The Dane started again with a new love of life.
Nwankwo Kanu
One of Nigeria’s greatest stars was on the verge of leaving football in 1996, depriving us of so much joy thanks to his class and goals in the teams where he played. 96 was a difficult but great year in many ways for Kanu.
At that time, he was already one of the most important youth stars in Europe and Nigeria. But chest pains took him to the doctor, where he was given the bad news. A valve in his heart was not closing properly, and his life was in danger.
Doctors immediately operated on him to try to cure the abnormality but told him he might never play football again. This was devastating for the then Ajax player. He made an excellent recovery and was part of that golden generation of Green Eagles that won the Olympic gold medal in Atlanta.
Every year he checks himself out of trouble and has had no difficulties, his long and successful career proves that with discipline and determination things can be overcome. It was in the twilight of his football journey that he underwent a complete heart operation to heal completely.
Angel Correa
He shone at San Lorenzo in his native Argentina, and that led Atlético Madrid to sign him. He was compared to Agüero for his qualities and immediately slotted into the team, where he would go on to do extraordinary things.
But in June 2014, even without playing an official match with the Spanish team, he was found to have a tumour in his heart in a medical test. The worst was thought to be the worst because it was not an easy diagnosis for Correa.
The doctors explained to him that fortunately, it was not such a complicated tumour to treat but that he had to have an operation. It was a long and very difficult process for the striker, who saw his career stopped. He had come to a great team, and it was his chance to explode, but first, he had to save his life.
Things seemed to be going well. His determination to completely overcome the tumour, which had been successfully removed, led him to step up the pace and by August he was training with the team.
The club was surprised, but gave him more time to recover, as they did not want to risk him, and it was not until December that he was at the level of a high-performance athlete. He underwent further medical tests and his heart was stronger than ever. The Argentinean is an example, physically and mentally strong.
Antonio Cassano
One of the most promising Italian strikers of recent times, he was constantly in the news for his goals and his actions off the pitch. He was always controversial and a bit undisciplined, but with a lot of quality.
In 2010, he signed for Milan after a great season with Sampdoria. That year he won the Scudetto and was considered one of the best strikers in the world. He was at a spectacular level and was undisputed in the Italian national team.
In 2011 the team was on its way to repeating the championship but had very strong competition. After a hard-fought match in Rome, on the plane back he couldn’t breathe or move. He had a heart attack, so on arrival in the Italian capital, he was admitted to a hospital where he was operated on for a valve problem.
He was out for six months because of this situation. When he returned to the field in a match against Fiorentina, San Siro gave him a wave of applause. Cassano was emotional and was always grateful for the gesture of the people who supported him so much. The jewel of Bari never again suffered from a heart condition and is sometimes seen in friendly games, proving that his footballing magic will never fade.