Stephen Warnock reveals he hid epileptic seizures from Liverpool for fear of being released

Stephen Warnock has revealed he concealed a history of epileptic seizures from Liverpool throughout his time at the club, saying he was “petrified” of being released if the condition became known to medical staff.

The former defender, who made 67 appearances for Liverpool after coming through the club’s academy, experienced his first seizure while at school and continued to have them until around the age of 14. Despite the episodes stopping in his early teens, the fear of a recurrence never left him — and he chose to stay silent rather than risk his career.

“I was petrified of telling Liverpool because I was worried of being released,” Warnock, now 44, told BBC Radio 5 Live. “I was thinking, ‘If they think I’ve got a condition they will release me.’ I was worried about being on the pitch and it happens. There were no triggers for me, I never knew what triggered it. That was what petrified me.”

Warnock described the shock of his first episode: “I was at a computer and then I woke up in a hospital bed. I was like, ‘Wow, how have I got here?’ I didn’t remember anything, I completely blacked out. My friends told me I started having a seizure. Obviously an ambulance was called and I was taken to hospital.”

“I was embarrassed, to be honest, because no-one else had it, no-one knew about it, I didn’t know about it until it happened.”

After a further seizure at home, Warnock underwent CT and MRI scans. The episodes continued for around three years before stopping. He said he was fortunate not to require medication and was able to grow out of the condition without the restrictions — such as limitations on driving — that many people with epilepsy face.

Warnock, who retired from professional football in 2018 and now works as a pundit, said he was prompted to speak publicly for the first time after hearing Hull City midfielder Matt Crooks discuss his own experience with epilepsy. “It’s the first time I’ve ever really spoken about it,” he said.