Eddie Howe has spoken openly about his challenging experience battling pneumonia.
The manager of Newcastle United was diagnosed with the lung infection earlier this month and suffered from ill health for several days.
He was eventually admitted to hospital, where it was discovered that the infection was causing significant problems in his body.
Thankfully, Howe has since made a full recovery and has returned to his duties.
Speaking about the ordeal, the 47-year-old said: “I felt really unwell, but I didn`t know just how unwell I was.”
“I`m one of those people, probably like most, most men, who tend to just power through things.”
“You don`t necessarily go to doctors because you think you`ll be better in a couple of days and that you`ll fight through it.”
“I`m very much in the mindset that I`ll keep going until I absolutely cannot.”
“So I was incredibly grateful that the doctor here, Paul Catterson, acted swiftly. Without that quick intervention, the outcome could potentially have been different.”
“I was then treated exceptionally well in hospital and thankfully, I`m now past the worst of it.”
Before being hospitalised and receiving a diagnosis, Howe initially attempted to recover from the illness simply by sleeping.
He recalled: “The symptoms were unusual because I wouldn`t describe any as significantly prominent.”
“And that was probably what made it hard for me to push for help at first, as I just wanted to sleep.”
“I did have a fever and a fairly high temperature, but you just assume you`ll sleep it off.”
“And that didn`t really improve things, but it was just a strong feeling of being far below how I normally feel when I`m fit and healthy.”
“And then later with the pneumonia, other issues arose.”
“Of course, it affected my chest and my ability to breathe normally, but not to an alarming degree.”
Regarding his journey to the hospital, he added: “I got a ride there and just walked in normally.”
“When I say normally, I probably mean I crawled in normally.”
“But as I said, I was relieved to be there because I felt, `this is where I need to be to get better.`”
“I just instinctively knew, and that`s when the staff greeted me and you experience a sense of relief.”
The past six weeks have been an emotional journey for Howe, who led Newcastle to their first major domestic trophy in 70 years in last month`s Carabao Cup final against Liverpool.
Howe feels he is close to full physical and mental fitness, stating: “Physically, I`m not 100 per cent.”
“But I`d like to think I`m very close to 100% mentally, which is the most crucial thing.”
“So, yes, I`m well enough to speak with you all today.”
“I try to take a positive from every experience. I think that`s really important.”
“You try to do that, but this has been a genuine challenge because you take your health for granted. I certainly did.”
“And when you don`t have the simple privilege of feeling normal, it can be very difficult.”
“So, yes, I`ve definitely been through a range of emotions.”
Newcastle will next play on Saturday afternoon, hosting Premier League side Ipswich Town, who are currently struggling, at St James` Park.
