When Glenn Hoddle turns 63 on Tuesday he’ll raise a glass to the TV soundman who sent his life into “extra time”.
The football legend collapsed in a TV studio while working as a pundit for BT Sport on his 61st birthday two years ago.
Sound engineer Simon Daniels, a trained first-aider, performed CPR on him.
His actions saved the former Spurs and England star from dying of a cardiac arrest as they waited for a defibrillator.
Glenn said: “I was just a very lucky man to be where I was and Simon was working at that time.
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"It was my birthday, so what a present Simon gave me doing the CPR.
"I thank him every day.
"Every minute of every day now is just so special.
"I do still feel as if I’m in extra time in football terms.”
The ex-England boss said he was “very lucky” not to have had a “massive stroke” as well, and later had a quadruple bypass.
He has since gone on to make lifestyle changes but has not quite given up booze.
He told a YouTube golf channel: “The surgeon said, ‘Your plumbing has all been sorted out and you’re better than you’ve ever been’.
"I just took that on board.
"I’ve changed my diet a tad, salt is important and not to eat too much of bad salt.
“I still have a nice glass of red wine, which is enjoyable, and they said thins the blood.
"The surgeon said ‘you can drink that’.
"I said ‘happy days!’”
