Chelsea and Team GB forward Daniel Sturridge has publicly thanked the medical team that helped him recover from viral meningitis.
The 22-year-old was a doubt for the London Olympic Games this summer after suffering the illness earlier this month, which forced the former Manchester City striker into hospital.
"My doctor acted fast and that was lucky for me," The Express quotes Sturridge as saying. "I'm not going to sit here and say I would have died, but I don't think I'd have recovered as quickly as I have and been here where I am today gearing up for the Olympics.
"I thought my hopes and dreams of taking part in the Olympics were over. I was really worried because I was getting worse as the days went by. It was a tough period because I went quickly downhill and was getting worse and worse.
"If I hadn't been in the hospital from the Monday morning – I was sectioned for five days – and if I hadn't taken any antibiotics in the hospital I wouldn't have had a chance of taking part in the Olympics."
Sturridge started for Stuart Pearce's Team GB side on Friday in their first warm-up match ahead of the Games this week, which ended in a 2-0 defeat to Brazil.
Danielle Joynson
