{"id":296551,"date":"2023-10-20T19:39:15","date_gmt":"2023-10-20T19:39:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportstons.com\/?p=296551"},"modified":"2023-10-20T19:39:15","modified_gmt":"2023-10-20T19:39:15","slug":"ched-evans-illness-made-footy-ace-go-home-thinking-hed-trained-before-it-began","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportstons.com\/soccer\/ched-evans-illness-made-footy-ace-go-home-thinking-hed-trained-before-it-began\/","title":{"rendered":"Ched Evans’ illness made footy ace go home thinking he’d trained before it began"},"content":{"rendered":"
Ched Evans hopes his injury nightmare is behind him as the Preston North End striker plans to return to action after seven months out.<\/p>\n
The former Manchester City youngster last played in March this year, cutting short last season where he scored nine goals in 26 Championship games, when symptoms of an illness he was struggling with became unignorable. Evans had been suffering from blackouts on the pitch, feeling \u2018electric shocks\u2019 through his body and losing all feeling in his arms for two years.<\/p>\n
But after a game against Rotherham United last season, Evans admitted he couldn\u2019t remember his kids\u2019 names the following day before turning up to training on a day where he couldn\u2019t suppress his symptoms any longer.<\/p>\n
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In an emotional interview with Preston ahead of his return, Evans said: "I came into training the day after, I think I just walked around and went home. I thought I\u2019d trained. I remember Jacko (Matt Jackson, Head of Medicine) ringing me and asking where I was, and I think that set the alarm bells off for him.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe suggested we go and see a specialist. In the back of my mind, I knew what the surgeon was going to say because of the symptoms I\u2019d been feeling for a couple of years. We went down to London and he asked me when I thought about retiring and I said, \u2018When my body gives up\u2019 and he just replied with, \u2018I think that\u2019s it now, you\u2019re so close to being paralysed from the neck down\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
Preston fans \u2013 how happy are you to see Ched Evans return? Let us know in the comments section.<\/i> <\/b><\/p>\n
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The former Wales international subsequently underwent successful surgery to take away the pressure being put on his spinal cord, which caused the electric shocks. After setbacks in his recovery, Evans finally got the green light to return to full-contact training whenever he felt ready.<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cThe reality of it is there\u2019s no risk like there was seven months ago. I\u2019m fit. Obviously I need to play games and stuff like that, but for me it\u2019s turned out to be the perfect outcome, although it\u2019s taken a while to get there. I can only be grateful I am here today and able to play football again which is mega.\u201d<\/p>\n
Evans is available and in contention to face Millwall in the early Championship kick-off on Saturday in front of his home fans at Deepdale, who will be ready to give him a moving reception. <\/p>\n