Ghana midfielder Emmanuel Agyemang Badu has hailed his Black Stars teammates Andre Ayew, Asamoah Gyan, Wakaso Mubarak and Jonathan Mensah for their unflinching support during his difficult period of sickness for most part of the second part of last year.
The Udinese midfielder on-loan at Hellas Verona was hospitalized in August 2019 with blood clots on his lungs after complaining of difficulties in breathing.
After several test, and under the observation of the club’s doctors the 29-year old was passed fit to return to action in December.
“In this situation I must give thanks to my colleagues. Some people like Andre Dede Ayew, Asamoah Gyan, Wakaso, Jonathan Mensah they were calling in and out and our coach (Verona ) ” he said.
“After our last pre season game last year that was a week before we start the league (2019.20 Serie A) we played a friendly game and when I came home I was feeling a bit tired.
“In the next morning we went for recovery and I came back home. “Badu told Citi TV.
“When I start to breathing then I fell very tired then I called our doctor to tell him and he said maybe it was the game or I had a knock and that I should take a pain killer.
“So i took the pain killer and slept. I went back to training the flowing day and when I cam back and still feeling that pain.” Badu continued.
“I was alone here and so around like 1:00 am in the night it became very dangerous and when I breathe I feel like all my lungs are blocked and so I picked my phone and called our doctor and fortunately for me he was awake but where he stays was a bit far from where I leave.
“So he called the physio and Thank God the physio was also awake at that time.
“The physio stayed just about a minute away from my house and so when he came to see my condition he said he needed to call the hospital.
“They did some preliminary test and gave me water. They said they cant see anything wrong and so I came back home and went to training the next day.
“But when we started training I started breathing very fast. The coach saw me and said this is not the Badu I know so he spoke to the doctor.” the former Kotoko player recounted.
Badu continued: ”I called my agent and told him about it and he also called the team doctor of Udinese.
“I told them I cannot continue playing anymore and that we needed to do more check ups.
“So the doctor of Verona here collaborated with that of Udinese and so another test at a different hospital was arranged and they saw that there was a clot in my blood that’s why I was struggling to breath.”
“From August to December I was told to be in the house not to run not to train. I was just at home for all this period but I thank God for my life. So for me I had Covid-19 twice.” Badu recounts a very touching ordeal.