Manchester City's Micah Richards diagnosed with swine flu

11 July 2009 10:54
The 21-year-old told The Sun newspaper he has been confined to his hotel room in Cyprus and cannot fly back to the UK until he has fully recovered. Richards, who is on an extended break after helping England reach the final of the Under-21 Championships in Sweden, is reported to have fallen ill last week and was forced to seperate himself frmo friends in a bid to avoid spreading the illness. "At first I thought it was a really bad chest infection, or maybe alcohol poisoning," he said. "I felt so weak that I couldn't move or eat. My friends had to bring me drinks in bed. "When I was told I had swine flu all sorts of things started going through my mind. You see on the news people dying of it. "My club have been very understanding. I'll get some stick from the lads when I do return - they will probably all turn up to training in surgical masks." Richards also warned people not to get complacent about the illness stressing that being fit and healthy does not stipulate avoiding infection. "No one out there is so fit and healthy they can't catch swine flu - if I can get it anyone can."

Source: Telegraph