LISTENING to him recount his gruelling heart ordeal, it is clear Glenn Hoddle is a man who considers himself very lucky to be alive.
One of football’s most familiar faces is fixed with an expression of contemplation as he ponders the miraculous chain of events that brought him back from the brink.
But his furrowed brow melts away and his eyes light up when he tells how grateful he feels that partner Lisa Curtis, 50, was by his side to help him through some of the toughest months of his life.
He said: “Lisa has been there for me non-stop. I’m so grateful. She has been incredible.”
Glenn described how she dashed to St Bart’s Hospital in central London along with the children from his first marriage to Christine — Jamie, 27, Zoe, 36, and Zara, 33. There they kept a bedside vigil after his cardiac arrest collapse at a TV studio.
He added: “I’m so lucky to have such a close family. They have been amazing and given me rock solid support.”
The twice-divorced ex-England boss spoke of his love for holistic therapist Lisa and revealed the key part she has played in his recovery.
He described how the divorced mum of three has been by his side throughout and lovingly helped him reach rehab milestones at home.
“It may have been the effect of the cardiac arrest but I kept forgetting things when I was in hospital and asking the same questions over again,” Glenn added.
“Lisa took everything in and wrote it down and helped me when I was confused. She was just fantastic and became an expert in it all.
“At home she has been keeping track of all my medication. Building up how far I can walk is an important part of the recovery and Lisa, or my kids would join me.
Laughs with pals boosted recovery
RELIEVED Glenn has told how footballing pals helped him get back to health with lots of laughs.
Well-wishers included ex-Man United boss Sir Alex Ferguson, who had suffered a brain haemorrhage five months earlier.
Glenn said: “I have had Sir Alex sending messages of support which have helped so much.
“Harry Redknapp, Alan Brazil, so many great names from football.
“It knocked me back a little bit thinking I had that impact.
“I was really boosted by a visit in hospital by my former Spurs teammates Ossie Ardiles, John Gorman and Paul Miller.
“We laughed so much telling stories that I had to tell them to stop, because it was causing me such pain.
“It was like being back in the dressing room sat around my hospital bed. But my ribs and sternum can’t take it. It still hurts like hell to sneeze.”
Glenn has also caught up with TV colleague Robbie Savage who witnessed his collapse during a game of studio keepy-uppy.
He said: “We embraced, then I joked, ‘Please tell me you didn’t beat me at keepy-uppy’. He told me he’d won, and we laughed — only because I can’t remember a thing about the game.
“Humour has helped get me through. I was in my hospital bed when someone nearby accidentally dropped a tray, causing a huge crashing noise that gave everyone a jump.
“Without thinking I called out, ‘Careful, you’ll give me a heart attack!’. I had to laugh at what I’d said.”
- By Stephen Moyes
I had to get better to see my grandkids grow
Glenn Hoddle on his heart attack“She has helped me get around because I haven’t been able to drive since my op. Lisa even had the good idea for me to switch to eating dark chocolate if I want a treat as it is good for your heart.”
The fact that Lisa’s own children also rushed to the hospital following Glenn’s collapse is testament to how close the couple have become since they met three years ago.
Speaking to him in person, it is clear his recovery is still continuing. The man dubbed the “nicest bloke in football” by his pal Harry Redknapp is in positive mood as we chat, but signs of physical frailty linger.
It is strange to see such a well-known sporting legend become short of breath from climbing a modest flight of stairs and walking at an unnaturally sedate pace.
But midway through his solemn reflections, a beaming smile suddenly breaks across Glenn’s face when he speaks of two other major factors in his recovery — two year-old grandchildren Teddy and Rosie.
Every inch the proud grandad — the tots call him “Poppa G” — Glenn says it was visualising their faces that kept him going during his darkest moments in hospital.
He added: “They are so young. I knew I had to get better to watch them grow up. If I had died in the studio, they wouldn’t have remembered me. It’s just too much to think of that.”
The Spurs legend, 61, was also boosted by video messages from the kids sent by his daughters Zoe and Zara. He said: “You hear a lot about the negative effects of phones and social media, but this was the most wonderful thing to help my recovery. The cute videos kept me going through some bad days.”
And Glenn admits the children have been monitoring his progress closely since he has come home.
He said: “Teddy climbed up next to me on the sofa the other day and whispered, ‘Poppa G, is your leg better now?’ because he could see I have a wound on my leg. They don’t realise the severity of what has gone on.
“Lisa also has a four-year-old grandson Jack. They know they can’t jump all over me at the moment, and I hate not being able to pick them up. It has been agonising not being able to hug them due to my surgery.
I know how lucky I am to be alive
Glenn Hoddle on surviving a cardiac arrest“I want to get better to hold my grandkids. I can’t wait until I get back to throwing them up in the air again.”
Just weeks after being discharged from hospital, Glenn spent a precious Christmas cocooned at home with his family. It was a Christmas he knows he almost didn’t see. He said: “It was a quiet one obviously, but I was so grateful to be there for it. My family really is everything to me. I am cherishing every moment of every day and know how lucky I am to be alive. Every moment is so precious.”
Of the grandkids, he added: “If I had died in the studio they wouldn’t have known me personally. It’s just too much to think of that.”
Known to be a man of faith, Glenn believes he has been given a “second chance” for a reason and wants the fact he has lived to tell his tale to benefit others.
The Hoddle family has also vowed to learn first aid — inspired by BT Sport sound engineer Simon Daniels, who saved Glenn’s life after his collapse. The former Chelsea player and manager added: “My daughters have already enrolled on a course. What a privilege to be able to save someone’s life by knowing basic first aid.
“I will be learning too. Simon is an inspiration. He came over to my house after I left hospital and we spent three hours chatting over coffee and cake. I wanted to thank him properly for saving my life.
“I’ve learned so much from this. I never thought I’d be so grateful to have seven ribs broken.
“But a nurse told me that is the sign of good CPR — she said that it’s the harder the better basically to get the heart pumping again, and Simon did an amazing job.”
Cardiac arrest: How to do CPR
AS part of his partnership with the British Heart Foundation, Glenn is urging readers of The Sun on Sunday to learn first aid.
The Spurs legend has asked us to share the charity’s advice on what to do if you witness somebody suffering a cardiac arrest.
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to act if you see anyone collapse:
most read in football
In December, Glenn joked that watching Tottenham grab a very late equaliser against Barcelona to earn a place in the knock-out stages of the Champions League “wasn’t very good for my recovery”.
He helped Spurs win the FA Cup twice and the UEFA Cup in the 1980s as a player, and he plans to attend a warm-up match ahead of the North London derby between his former club and rivals Arsenal at Wembley on March 2.
But now the football favourite, who played 53 times for England and had 28 games as manager of the national team, is counting down until he can return to work as a football pundit on BT Sport and ITV.
- GLENN has donated his fee for this interview to the British Heart Foundation, Barts Charity, and London’s Air Ambulance Charity.
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