Man who had stroke after football on slow recovery

Tom Hooper, from Brighton, had a stroke after heading a football during a match in August 2022

A man who had a stroke after heading a ball during a football match says he is happy to be alive.

Tom Hooper, from Brighton, had a stroke 10 days after heading a ball during a seven-a-side match at Preston Park in August 2022.

The 34-year-old said following the incident he could immediately feel “my brain wasn’t right”.

He was left unable to walk or talk, but has undertaken regular speech and physical therapy over the past 18 months on his road to recovery.

After the incident, which left him unable to remember the names of his teammates, Mr Hooper was twice sent home from hospital to rest.

After ten days, he collapsed and doctors informed him that he had suffered a stroke.

'A slow process'

He spent six weeks at Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton and a further six weeks at the rehabilitation centre at Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath.

His father, Jamie Hooper, said it was at the rehabilitation centre that his son began to get back some of his mobility and speech.

“It has been a slow process, but he has worked very hard at it,” he said.

His son, who ran a strength and conditioning business before the stroke, said he still felt fortunate, adding: “I’m alive.”

According to the Stroke Association, the condition occurs every five minutes in the UK – 100,000 times a year - but it is rarely caused by sports-related incidents.

The causes are varied, but sporting activity should not be avoided, neuro surgeon Sheikh Momin said.

“We feel that the benefits of physical activity outweigh the rare risk that something like this happens,” he said.

“The risk generally from heading a football and having a stroke is very low and I wouldn’t recommend people stop playing sports because of this."