Man left with life-changing injuries after heading a football and suffering a stroke

A man suffered a severe stroke after heading a football, leaving him with life-changing injuries.

Tom Hooper, 34, was left with physical and emotional problems and can no longer work due to the injuries he sustained during a regular football game. He now has weakness in his right arm and leg, experiences difficulty walking, and aphasia - a condition that makes communication difficult due to speech and language issues.

While Tom felt the effects of his condition almost immediately during a game in August last year, he was not diagnosed with a stroke until 10 days later. He said he had difficulty remembering anyone's name and could barely get any words out of his mouth.

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Speaking about the incident in Brighton, Tom said: "I was playing seven-a-side football with friends at Preston Park - anyone can turn up and play. The ball got passed into a centre midfielder who went to shoot towards the goal. I headed the ball to clear it but boom! The ball had been pumped up hard.

“I couldn’t remember anyone’s name. All I could say was left and right, yes and no. I sat down. I tried to get words but nothing would come out.” Tom made his way to his mum Carol's house which was fortunately close by because he couldn't use his phone to message anyone.

He added: "I went down to the Royal Sussex County Hospital for the first time they sent me home. They told me to read up on what I should do. Rest up.

“I went back again the day after. I didn’t feel well at all. I knew that something was wrong. I drove myself in. I don’t know how I did it. They sent me for a scan and nothing showed up. I said ‘I think you need to put me in