Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has revealed details of a health scare that left him hospitalised last week.
The 46-year-old was forced to miss his punditry duties with TNT Sports due to what he described as a "mad virus".
Ferdinand was set to provide analysis for Arsenal's visit to Paris Saint-Germain before acting as co-commentator as United reached the Europa League final.
Instead, he watched the matches from a hospital bed.
Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has revealed details of a health scare that left him hospitalised last week
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He later updated fans on his condition by sharing a photo of himself giving a thumbs up after what he called a "serious ordeal".
The former England defender described suffering from horrific symptoms that left him fearing for his life.
"I had a mad virus. I thought lights were out at some point, I thought it was gonna happen. I thought I was minutes away from lights out, seriously," Ferdinand said on his show, Rio Ferdinand Presents.
He detailed experiencing severe migraines that felt like his "head was in a vice" and his "eyes were going to pop out".
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Rio Ferdinand said he was concerned when he was informed that he needed urgent medical attention
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The illness also caused projectile vomiting and vertigo so intense he was "holding onto the sheets" as he "didn't know where" he was.
Ferdinand described the experience as "crazy", with the health scare escalating when medical professionals suggested he needed urgent attention.
"I had to go to hospital and the doctor even said to me, 'Do you want an ambulance'? So that's when I knew," Ferdinand revealed.
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The situation became more concerning when brain scans were mentioned.
"He went, 'We're going to get your brain scanned'. I thought it was a virus or a flu or something so when he mentioned brain scan and the ambulance, the panic was nuts," he explained.
The former defender shared how the suggestion of serious medical intervention heightened his anxiety about what had initially seemed like a common illness.
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Ferdinand spent several days in hospital recovering from the severe virus.
The former Manchester United star was unable to enjoy the typical comforts of hospital food during his stay.
"I was in there for a few days. I couldn't even enjoy the hospital food. The soup and the ice cream normally does wonders," he added.
Rio Ferdinand will be hoping to cover the upcoming Europa League final with TNT Sports
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Despite the severity of his symptoms, Ferdinand appears to be recovering well.
He had previously shared a thumbs-up photo from his hospital bed to reassure concerned fans.
It is currently unclear if Ferdinand will work on the Europa League final, with United set to do battle with Tottenham on May 31.
