I started pre-season at Arsenal with a huge hole in my side after club scout saved my life – I thought I was dying

MARTIN KEOWN has revealed that helium thought helium was "dying" during an Arsenal travel to France.

The erstwhile defender, 58, began his vocation successful the Gunners' academy.

Part of a talented harvest that besides included Tony Adams, David Rocastle and Niall Quinn, Keown had issues with younker squad manager Tommy Coleman.

Appearing connected The Rest is Football alongside Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer, Keown revealed that helium suffered a wellness scare during a travel distant with the team.

"I was forced to spell connected a travel abroad," helium began. "I had breached and dislocated my elbow, and I had to spell to France to watch...

"He (Coleman) rang maine and said 'you're not having a vacation fella, we're connected holiday, you've not got your feet up, you travel with us'.

"And past I started getting a grumbling appendix problem. For 3 days I was virtually lying successful the dormitory, 'Yeah I can't spell out, I'm successful excessively overmuch pain'.

"And I thought 'I'm dying, I'm virtually dying'. And I had a dependable successful my caput saying 'You amended bash something'.

"(The) Italian squad adjacent doorway didn't talk English. Steve Rowley the nine scout, you whitethorn person heard that name, helium conscionable turned up successful the car park.

"And I utilized to accidental to him each time I saw him aft that 'You saved my life... If you didn't crook up...'

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"He went off, he'd gone for a fewer hours but yet they got aesculapian attraction to maine and went consecutive in, and I had peritonitis successful the end, wherever the appendix burst.

"And that was each astir that Gary, each astir that coach... In fact, I started pre-season with a large spread successful my side.

"And I couldn't straighten my elbow due to the fact that I'd breached and dislocated my elbow.

"But I didn't privation to beryllium successful the aesculapian country for different pre-season due to the fact that I had gone done a batch of that."

Following his difficulties with Coleman, Keown near Arsenal for Aston Villa successful 1986 having made conscionable 22 archetypal squad appearances.

Following 7 years distant and a further stint astatine Everton, helium yet returned to Highbury successful 1993, wherever helium would past enactment for 11 years.

'TOOK THAT PERSONALLY'

During his chat with Lineker and Shearer, Keown opened up connected wherever helium felt his issues with Coleman had begun.

He said: "You spell into digs and you're reliant connected wherever you extremity up. It was each large erstwhile I was doing my trials with bully families and past abruptly determination wasn't anyplace to stay.

"So I went and stopped with Tommy. And Tommy had been a part-time manager previously, but present helium was full-time. You're coming location and you're with the younker squad manager, making the tea, there's ne'er immoderate benignant of respite.

"In my contented I went to spot Steve Burtenshaw, caput of the younker team, and said 'I deliberation it would beryllium amended if I moved determination else'.

"But Tommy took that personally. And truthful did his wife. She virtually conscionable wanted to fling maine retired that precise night.

"He said 'You've made beingness execution for maine now, truthful I'm going to marque beingness hard for you'. And helium did."