Liverpool coach Spearing rushed to hospital as body 'shut down'

Liverpool coach Jay Spearing reveals he was rushed to hospital on Christmas Eve as his body ‘started shutting down’ due to rare Addison’s Disease – with club captain Jordan Henderson among the well-wishers

  • Jay Spearing has opened up on being diagnosed with the rare Addison’s Disease 
  • The Liverpool coach and former player was rushed to hospital on Christmas Eve  
  • Spearing revealed the traumatic experience in an honest post on social media 
  • Reds club captain Jordan Henderson was among the well-wishers on Instagram 

Liverpool coach Jay Spearing has opened up on being diagnosed with the rare Addison’s Disease, which saw him rushed to hospital on Christmas Eve. 

The 34-year-old, who came through the club’s academy, returned to Anfield in June as Under-18 coach and was also registered as an over-age player for the U21 side. 

Alongside his coaching duties, Spearing made two appearances for the U21s this season – but revealed the harrowing experience of being summoned urgently to hospital after blood tests revealed how ill he was.

Liverpool coach Jay Spearing has opened up on being diagnosed with Addison’s Disease

The 34-year-old rushed to hospital on Christmas Eve after blood tests revealed how ill he was

Spearing is Under-18 coach at Anfield, and is also an over-age player for their Under-21 side

Addison’s disease is a rare, lifelong condition that affects around nine-14 people per 100,000 in the developed world and is named after Thomas Addison, who first described it in 1855.

The bodies of those with the disease don’t make enough of certain hormones, like cortisol and aldosterone.

Sometimes, an adrenal crisis can occur, with low blood pressure, vomiting and loss of consciousness.

Symptoms include hyperpigmentation (darkening of the skin), muscle weakness, depression and diarrhoea. 

While it can be life-threatening, it can be treated successfully with steroid hormones.

In an honest post on Instagram, he said: ‘My First Christmas off in 17 years was a little different than I expected. After blood tests with the club, on Xmas eve i was told I needed to attend hospital urgently before my body starting shutting down. I was potentially hours/days away from going into something called Adrenal Crisis. 

‘After more observations and tests… they diagnosed me with Addison’s Disease. It’s took me a minute to get my head around it, but I am thankful that now it’s been diagnosed it can be controlled and managed through hormone replacement treatment, and it’s not something that I will allow to effect or dictate my life.

‘Thinking back, I have been ignoring symptoms and changes in my body ( a cracking tan for a start) for over a year, without it being checked… if it wasn’t for @jadespearing73 for pushing me to get checked. After she described my symptoms to @rachelwilliamshomeopathy she insisted I get my cortisol levels checked.

‘I really do owe a massive thank you to Rachel because if I hadn’t got this checked when I did things could have turned out very differently. Moral of the story – don’t ignore changes in your body… no matter how small… get them checked out!’

In response to the post, which has already received more than 5,000 likes, several Liverpool players past and present wished Spearing well.

Current club captain Jordan Henderson simply put a heart emoji, while goalkeeper coach John Achterberg said: ‘Hope all is OK, J’ and teenage midfielder Stefan Bajcetic, who scored against Aston Villa on Monday, added: ‘Get well soon Jay’.

Liverpool Women’s star Missy Bo Kearns posted: ‘Get well soon Jay’ as well, with youngsters Tyler Morton, Paul Glatzel, Layton Stewart and Max Woltman echoing those sentiments, along with Arsenal’s Rob Holding and Leicester’s Kieran Dewsbury-Hall

Defensive midfielder Spearing, who played 55 times for Liverpool’s senior team after breaking through before enjoying spells at Bolton and Blackpool, is one of several coaches to become over-age players – with Tom Huddlestone, 36, at Manchester United.

Reds club captain Jordan Henderson (second top) was among the well-wishers on Instagram

Spearing made 55 appearances for Liverpool after coming through the Merseyside academy

Addison’s disease is a rare, lifelong condition that affects around nine-14 people per 100,000 in the developed world and is named after Thomas Addison, who first described it in 1855.

The bodies of those with the disease don’t make enough of certain hormones, like cortisol and aldosterone. Sometimes, an adrenal crisis can occur, with low blood pressure, vomiting and loss of consciousness.

Symptoms include hyperpigmentation (darkening of the skin), muscle weakness, depression and diarrhoea. While it can be life-threatening, it can be treated successfully with steroid hormones. 




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