'I ended up having a stroke' - Ex-Preston North End, Southampton and Plymouth Argyle man's big training scare

Former Preston North End defender Neal Trotman has opened up on suffering a stroke during his time at the club.

The Lilywhites signed the centre-back from Oldham Athletic in January 2008 for £500,000. Trotman, who penned a three-year deal, was wanted by Derby County and Plymouth Argyle at the time.

Trotman had to wait a few months to make his debut, due to injury, and only ended up playing four games for PNE. He was loaned out to Colchester, Southampton, Huddersfield and back to Oldham during his stint at North End.

Now, the former Rochdale and Chesterfield man has looked back on his career with the podcast: ‘I Had Trials Once’. He talks about his big move to Preston, his career as a whole and retiring at the age of 28. But, one untold story which did come to light was the stroke suffered by him.

"I only played about 20 games before the January window and then Preston put half-a-million in for me," said Trotman. "Plymouth did first; I didn't want to go to Plymouth. I was a homeboy... I just wasn't ready for that. I went to Preston and my medical, I don't know how I passed it. My knee was hanging off but I think the timing was perfect, because they needed to get it over the line.

“They had rejected someone for me, and they had signed for Leeds - I can't remember who it was. About two weeks later I had a hernia operation, played a couple of games before the end of the season and did really well in the games. I then had a scan on my knee and ended up having a micro-fracture, which kept me out for a year. Throughout that year I was injured, isolated and by myself.

“I ended up getting back, went on loan to Colchester, did really well and then came back. They were in the play-offs against Sheffield United. I didn't think I was going to play but that I could at least be in the squad, which I was. It was towards the last game of the season when we cemented play-offs. I was in the squad and ended up having a stroke in training.”

“It was like I was floating.”

He added: “Everything was going along and I’d had all the tests and everything; I just put it down to what was going on over the past few years. It was stress of not playing. I personally think it was that. When I was in football I absolutely dreaded it because I wasn't happy. I wasn't playing, injured all the time and I think that's what caused it really - everything going on over the years, the rollercoaster.

“Everything was just slow motion. A blood clot went to my brain and from there I felt really, really dizzy. I was walking but it was like I was floating at the same time. My left side drooped as well and one of the side effects I had actually, was a nervous laugh.

“I was getting all the tests on my brain and just couldn't stop laughing, to the point where it was uncomfortable for them. I recovered fine. I didn't make a big deal of it. I wish I had actually, because it would've kind of given people hope. I had all the tests and it came back clear. I got back fit and ended up going on loan to Huddersfield and Southampton.”

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