Mark O’Brien revealed how he made use of two hearts before retiring. Former Derby County player went under the knife for heart surgery at the age of 16.
In subsequent years, he also went through another heart surgery to rectify a leaking aortic valve.
Mark O’Brien did that in his bid to play football for 11 years.
After his first surgery at the age of 16, many didn’t give him a chance to continue playing due to the factors known to them.
Although he defied all odds by making 35 appearances in all competitions for the League 1 side Derby County.
Every season, he undergoes a scan to check whether his pig skin valve is still functioning.
In addition, after a lot of general consultations with the doctors, he was told he could only perform on field activities for a duration of five years.
In a recent interview, the Irishman said, “When I speak with my family about it now, my mom has said she would have wanted me to take the metal valve then and stop playing football.”
“But, at the time, my family and everybody knew how much football meant to me and that the decision was mine, even though I was 16.”
“I’d had a routine heart scan after making my debut (for Derby in the Championship in 2009) in the season prior to that, and I never had a single symptom.”
He claimed that during his playing career, he used his two hands to open the door at home.
Sometimes, he doesn’t feel like leaving the bed to move to the training ground due to depression and anxiety.
Also, he hardly discusses his ailments with his teammates unless they ask questions about his scars, which occur as a result of the doctors sowing his chest.
The former Derby County player is currently 30 years old. He ended his football career at the age of 27.
Who is Mark O’Brien
The defender was born on November 20, 1992, in the city of Balleyfernot, Dublin, Ireland. He is currently 30 years old and has a height of 6 feet and 1 inch.
Mark O’Brien started his career at Cherry Ochard in 2000. He proceeded to leave the club in 2008. In the same 2008, the defender joined Derby County.
Since joining Derby County, he has become a first-team player at the age of 18. Mark O’Brien was used as a substitute against Watford in a 3-1 defeat on May 3, 2009.
In May 2015, the defender announced he would be moving to another football club after seven years at Derby County.
Mark O’Brien joined Luton Town on July 9, 2015, signing a two-year deal. He made his first debut on August 11, 2015, against Bristol City.
The other club he played for was Newport County. He played in 172 club competitions, scoring just five goals.
