Illness Almost Forced Beckford into Retirement..

[campo21]

Jermaine Beckford admits he almost walked away from football earlier this year, after struggling to overcome a troublesome ear infection.

Beckford, who has been on loan at Preston North End since November, recently returned from a month on the sidelines and has scored four goals in his last five outings for the League One promotion contenders.

The 31-year-old's illness somewhat disappeared under the radar in the eyes of Bolton supporters, but the former Leeds United forward has revealed he contemplated hanging up his boots as the infection left him unable to lead a normal day-to-day life.

"I couldn't move," Beckford told Sky Sports.

"I was laying down in bed and any time I tried to sit up I would pretty much lose conciousness and pass out, get dizzy and throw up; it was brutal, a really, really tough time.

"I was very, very, very worried. After the third week I'd seen no improvement at all and I thought to myself if after three weeks nothing's got better I'm pretty sure I'm going

[campo21]

I never knew his ear infection was that bad.

[gallopingchip]

I didn't realize you could be that ill with an ear infection!

[JimmyJazz64]

Sounds like labyrinthitis which is a truly horrible thing to have

[gardsPNE]

He can have another ear infection for me and then bang in 4 goals in 5 games. It seems to have given him a new lease of life. Seriously though it must have been quite an illness for a footballer to consider retiring. Not just yet my lad there's plenty of football in ya yet.

[klassnic]

the ear infection was the symptoms of not listening to what the managers wanted ! lol

he has now recovered from the illness as he was demoted to league one as a player leaving his image of working towards being a premiership player to league one player

shame because I had him down as another nathan blake to score most times but not to be !