Chloe Kelly reveals heart attack fears as England icon discusses alopecia, sickness and anxiety battles

Kelly returned to Arsenal in January, initially on loan, after stating that what she described as “negative behaviour” at City had had a “huge impact” on her wellbeing.

Now, speaking nearly a year on, Kelly has described how her anxiety spiralled to a point where everyday life became overwhelming.

Appearing on Fearne Cotton’s Happy Place podcast, the winger said her symptoms became so debilitating that she found comfort only in isolation and darkness.

“I loved sitting in the dark and I was like, ‘This isn’t okay,’” Kelly said.

“Just being by myself, quiet and sitting in the dark. It got to the point with my anxiety that I couldn’t get off the bathroom floor because I was just being sick.

“I tried taking the dogs for a walk, colouring in and it wasn’t an eating disorder. It was a vicious cycle because I didn’t want to feel anxious and I didn’t want to throw up, but when I felt anxious I just needed to throw up.”

Kelly recalled one particularly distressing episode when her partner, Scott Moore, intervened.

“There was one occasion where Scott got me off the bathroom floor and put me in the hallway, just to stop me throwing up,” she said.

As the anxiety persisted, Kelly began to notice physical changes that alarmed her.

Her hair started falling out, a development that eventually led to a diagnosis of alopecia.

“I started losing my hair. I was like, ‘No, this isn’t acceptable,’” she said. “It carried on and I remember saying to Scott, ‘I feel like I’ve got a bald patch in my hair.’

“I noticed then on the other side another bald patch and it was then that I thought I had alopecia.

"I went to the doctor at England and just said, ‘My hair’s falling out but it’s itching as well on my head.’ He sent me to some specialists and she was amazing and told me I had alopecia.”

The diagnosis forced Kelly to confront the physical impact of her mental health struggles.

“I was like, now I’m seeing the physical effects it (anxiety) is having on my body, not only mental,” she said.

“That was a tough time because you care about your appearance a lot and you want to feel confident. I remember my first game at Arsenal covering my bald patches.”

She also described panic attacks so intense that she feared she was experiencing heart attacks.

“I had panic attacks and thought I was having a heart attack at times,” Kelly said.

“When my hair was coming out, I remember questioning whether I can go fully bald. She was like, ‘it takes three months’.”

Those three months became a period of uncertainty, but Kelly says the outcome has been life-affirming.

“Now, I look at my hair and it’s grown back. I had my hair in a pony in the recent camp and my hair was growing outwards. Incredible things have happened since I made that step," she stated.

Kelly credits her return to Arsenal, the club where she rose through the youth ranks, as a decisive turning point.

After a successful loan spell that culminated in a Champions League triumph, she signed permanently in the summer.

“January was a real turning point for me, coming back to London and to a club I love in Arsenal,” she said.

“I was in a really dark place and I was for a while to be honest. I struggled a lot, and I was riddled with anxiety and I didn’t want to go out at any opportunity. Even going to the shops and Tesco.”

Reflecting on the experience, she added: “It was tough for me because I think I’m quite outgoing and, you come away from sport, and you’re like this is affecting my mental health. A game I love so much is affecting me in so many other ways. Being able to speak up in January and come back to London and find happiness, for me it was about taking a step away from the game."