CHARLIE WYKE revealed he took inspiration from Christian Eriksen as he made an emotional return to first team football earlier this month.
The Wigan forward, 29, suffered a cardiac arrest during a training session back in November and feared he would never play again.
He admits he owes his life to Latics boss Leam Richardson– who began the resuscitation – and club doctors at the DW Stadium who brought him back to life after more than three minutes.
Wyke now has a defibrillator fitted under his skin and told how it was used after he felt dizzy during a training session back in March.
That meant his plans of a comeback in the spring were put back – but he did finally return as a sub in the win at Birmingham nine days ago.
And the comeback by Eriksen – who has recovered from a collapse on the pitch at Euro 2020 and now plays for Manchester United – has spurred him on during his long road back.
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Wyke said: “It’s been an incredible journey and I’ve taken a lot of inspiration from Eriksen.
“He’s been through a lot and to come back play the way he’s played is unbelievable.
“I remember watching that incident on television and thinking ‘you’ve got to be so lucky for that to happen’. Then four months later, it was me. “
Wyke revealed he was looking to return to Wigan‘s first team in March but had to think again after another scare in training.
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He told Sky Sports: “There’s been a lot of setbacks, changing medication.
“But two or three months after the cardiac arrest, I’d started light training again.
“It was only a week before I was hoping to come back. Will Keane said something to me and I looked straight through him and started going dizzy again.
“My defibrillator went off and gave me a complete shock of the full body. It’s quite dramatic really.
“I’d never want to go through it all again because the pain was unbearable. My team-mates had to see it all again.
“The positive I can take is that I know the defibrillator works now. It doesn’t look the best, but if it’s going to save your life, who cares?”
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Wyke did finally make it back at a 70th minute sub at St Andrew’s and 12 minutes later he set up the winner for Nathan Broadhead.
After more than nine months on the sidelines, it was a special moment for him and his family.
He said: “To come back was an unbelievable feeling. If someone told me six months ago I’d be on the pitch doing that I’d have said no chance.
“My family were there and it was quite emotional after the game – there was only me that wasn’t crying.”
Looking back on the day he collapsed in November, Wyke recalled: “I knew it was serious.
“The last thing I remember was going to the manager and wanting to tell him I was going to collapse – but I couldn’t get my words out.
“If it wasn’t for the manager and the doctor I wouldn’t be here now. So for me and my family they are our heroes. It was obviously the scariest day of my life.”