Ex-Ireland and Manchester United star admits seizure saved his life amid addiction battles
Former Ireland and Manchester United midfielder Darron Gibson
Former Republic of Ireland and Manchester United midfielder Darron Gibson nearly died of a seizure due to his addiction to sleeping pills, a seizure that he now ironically believes helped save his life.
The midfielder made 60 appearances for United during seven years at the club, famously scoring in the semi-final of the Champions League against Schalke at Old Trafford in 2011. He was capped 27 caps for the Republic of Ireland and turned out for Everton, Sunderland, Wigan and Salford City during a 16-year professional career.
Despite starting his career in a positive fashion, a string of injuries meant Gibson spent more time on the treatment table than the pitch. The 36-year-old turn to sleeping pills to help cope with the pain, but he soon developed an addiction, which nearly turned fatal three years ago.
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Gibson was watching his former side United play rivals Manchester City on the TV in his living room when he experienced a terrifying seizure, which caused him to bite his tongue. His eyes rolled back into his head and his lips turned blue as he sweated profusely, leading his wife Danielle to believe he had died.
Thankfully, Gibson survived and was taken to Wythenshawe Hospital in south Manchester, where doctors assessed him. Recalling the incident in an interview with The Times, Gibson says it ultimately saved his life because it forced him to confront his problems face-on, rather than hide them.
“They were doing brain scans and epilepsy scans,” he explained. “I knew deep down what happened, but I was too embarrassed to tell them. Finally I said: ‘Listen, it’s not that.’ I had taken 12 sleeping tablets the night before and about six more before I sat down to watch the match.”
Gibson’s problem with sleeping pills began when he suffered a serious knee injury in 2013 – the year after he left boyhood club United for Everton. He developed insomnia and started taking the pills to help him sleep, but things soon spiralled out of control, with alcohol also providing a crutch during the difficult times.
The midfielder was given a driving ban and community order after crashing while intoxicated in 2015 and another incident followed while at Sunderland three years later. He was fortunate to escape prison after crashing into several parked cars while drunk.
“If I took sleeping tablets, within half an hour I wouldn’t really know what I was doing,” he said. “I would be like a zombie. Mix that with alcohol and you have no idea what you were doing. There was a pattern; get a serious injury that I can’t deal with properly and then do something stupid.”
Gibson managed to turn his life around with the help of his wife and after starting to undergo therapy. He retired from playing football in 2021 after admitting that the fear of injury had affected his game and is now a stay-at-home dad to his two children.
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