Rio Ferdinand offers health update after staying in hospital with 'mad virus'

Rio Ferdinand has elaborated on the health scare that left him fearing he would die. The Manchester United icon was hospitalised by a 'mad' virus last week.

Ferdinand initially joked on his Five podcast: "My wife, the women in my family, will never know... man flu. That's what it's really about, man flu."

However, he went on to detail a scary ordeal.

"I had a mad virus, bro. I thought lights were out at some point, I thought it was gonna happen. I thought I was minutes away from lights out, seriously," he said.

"I was in my house, I was in my bed like this [pained expression] and I couldn't even open my eyes. Then, the headache I had... I don't get migraines or nothing else so I don't know what they're like. I thought my head was in a vice and my eyes were going to pop out.

"Then, I was being sick, projectile vomiting in the toilet, I got back to bed and I was having vertigo. I was holding onto the sheets, I didn't know where I was. It was crazy. I had to go to hospital and the doctor even said to me, "Do you want an ambulance", so that's when I knew.

"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. I went to hospital and 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."

MORE TO FOLLOW

We'll be bringing you the very latest updates, pictures and video on this breaking news story.

For the latest news and breaking news visit: express.co.uk/sport/football. Stay up to date with all the big headlines, pictures, analysis, opinion and video on the stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter @dexpress_sport - the official Daily Express & Express.co.uk Twitter account - providing real news in real time.

We're also on Facebook @dailyexpresssport - offering your must-see news, features, videos and pictures throughout the day to like, comment and share from the Daily Express, Sunday Express and Express.co.uk.