Former Premier League goalkeeper Shaka Hislop collapsed in the air during a pre-match interview at The Rose Bowl in California. The shocking incident took place ahead of a pre-season friendly between Real Madrid and AC Milan, where Hislop was working as a pundit for ESPN. Hislop’s fellow commentator Dan Thomas immediately came to his rescue. “Shaq. Shaq. We need some help,” Thomas was heard shouting as soon as Hyslop fell to the ground.
Following Hislop’s collapse, the official broadcasters decided to go on hiatus. However, this horrific incident did not affect the proceedings of the friendly game between the two European giants. Hislop was “conscious and recovering,” ESPN said. At halftime, Thomas delivered the ‘good news’ confirming ESPN’s update.
“Half-time here at the Rose Bowl, it’s AC Milan 2 Real Madrid 0, but it’s very secondary to the pre-game stuff. My friend, Xhaka, isn’t (here) but it’s good news. He’s conscious, he’s talking. He seems a bit embarrassed about it. He is,” Dan Thomas said on ESPN.
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“It’s too early to make any kind of diagnosis, but the important thing is that we’ve spoken to Xhaka’s conscious and his family, because you imagine it happening straight away, there’s not much that scares you. Luckily, we talked to his wife and things are looking up.
Hyslop, an EPL veteran
Hyslop, 54, made more than 250 Premier League appearances during his 15-year career, representing the likes of Newcastle United, West Ham United and Portsmouth. He wore the West Ham jersey in two different stints, 1998-2002 and 2005-2006. In international football, Hislop represented Trinidad and Tobago before calling it quits in 2007. After ending an illustrious professional career, the two-time FA Cup finalist became a football scholar in the USA.
Back in the pre-season friendly between Real Madrid and AC Milan, the Spanish giants staged an incredible comeback to claim a 3-2 win. AC Milan’s English defender Fikayo Tomori scored the first goal of the game in the 25th minute. Luca Romero doubled the Italian lead at the end of the first half.
Real Madrid started the second half with a passion for a comeback. Their relentless attack paid off in the 57th minute after Uruguayan midfielder Federico Valverde’s long-range strike found the back of the net. Two minutes later, Valverde got his name on the scoresheet again. Brazilian star Vinicius Junior completed Real Madrid’s comeback with a thrilling winner in the final moments of a thrilling match.
