‘Self-pity came into it as I was a proud man’: footballer Noel Blake on recovering from a stroke

In an extract from a new book, the former Portsmouth, Leeds and Exeter defender talks about the day his life changed for ever in 2015 and his healing processNoel Blake walked through Trentham Gardens on the outskirts of Stoke-on-Trent staring up at the trees and making a mental note of those with the sturdiest branches. What he was trying to get clear in his head in those fleeting moments only he could really know.There comes a time in most stroke healing – or the lack of hope for it – when the victim reflects on the dark side. For professional athletes to be robbed of that they cherished most – their athleticism – must be the hardest cut of all. Continue reading...

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