Ex-Liverpool star hid epileptic seizures from club to avoid release

Stephen Warnock has revealed he hid epileptic seizures from Liverpool out of sheer terror that the club would release him. The former left-back, now 44, played 67 times for the Reds before moving on to other Premier League sides, but he never disclosed his condition during his time at Anfield. Speaking to the Daily Mail ^[1], Warnock explained that he was "petrified" of losing his spot if the medical team discovered his fits.

The Mirror reported ^[2] that Warnock's first seizure occurred while he was at school, where he blacked out completely. "I was at a computer and then I woke up in a hospital bed," he recalled. He had no memory of the event, only learning from friends that he had convulsed and an ambulance had been called. Despite undergoing CT and MRI scans after subsequent episodes, Warnock chose silence over disclosure.

"I was worried about being on the pitch and it happens," Warnock told the BBC, as cited by the Daily Mail ^[1]. "There were no triggers for me, I never knew what triggered it. That was what petrified me." His fear was rooted in the belief that a medical diagnosis would be seen as a liability rather than a manageable condition. He admitted feeling embarrassed because, to his knowledge, no one else in the squad shared his experience.

The condition persisted for approximately three years before Warnock grew out of it. He confirmed he has not suffered a seizure since the age of 14 and did not require medication to manage his driving or daily life. "It's the first time I've ever really spoken about it," he said, breaking his long-standing silence.

Warnock's story highlights that epilepsy is not a barrier to elite sporting success. The Mirror ^[2] notes that England rugby star Tommy Freeman, who toured with the British & Irish Lions in 2025, was also diagnosed at 19 and manages his condition with daily tablets. Freeman recently made history as the first England player to score in all five games of a Six Nations Championship.

Warnock retired from professional football in 2018 and has since become a prominent broadcaster. He has worked across major networks including the BBC, Sky Sports, and NBC. His revelation offers a rare glimpse into the anxieties faced by young athletes, where the fear of career termination can outweigh the need for transparency. For Warnock, the gamble paid off; he kept his career intact and, eventually, his health resolved itself without the intervention of medication.