(Reuters) – Former England defender Stuart Pearce is in hospital in Canada after falling ill during a flight from Las Vegas to London.
The 62-year-old was treated by Virgin Atlantic staff and medically trained passengers before the flight was diverted to St. John’s, Canada, where he is recovering in hospital, radio station talkSPORT, where Pearce is a pundit, said on Saturday.
“I spoke to him on (Friday) and he was in great spirits,” fellow talkSPORT commentator Sam Matterface said.
“He isn’t 100 percent – that’s definitely the case. But he’s in the right place in the hospital. They’re dealing with it.”
Pearce, won 78 England caps. He played for and managed both Nottingham Forest and Manchester City. His former clubs met in the Premier League on Saturday, with Forest winning 1-0.
Pearce scored 63 goals in 401 games over 12 years at Forest. Fans at the City Ground held banners for him, while the stdium’s big screen displayed a message reading, “Get well soon, Stuart.”
“He’s a little bit disappointed about not being here today (at Forest),” Matterface added. “He actually said to me: ‘I’ve got so much I’ve had to cancel – great games, and Mumford and Sons are playing next Wednesday night and I can’t go,'” .
TalkSPORT did not disclose the cause of Pearce’s medical emergency. The flight left at 8:45 pm local time and after being diverted reached London six hours later than planned.
(Reporting by Shifa Jahan in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris)
