Ray Wilkins, the former England, Manchester United and Chelsea footballer has been placed into an induced coma after suffering from a cardiac arrest, his wife has said.
“He is not in a good state at all, I’m afraid,” Jackie Wilkins told The Mirror. “He’s critically ill.”
She added: “The cardiac arrest led to a fall which has meant he’s had to be put in an induced coma. It’s very, very bad.”
Wilkins collapsed at his home in Cobham, Surrey, on Wednesday shortly after appearing on Alan Brazil’s Talksport breakfast show, the newspaper reported. The 61-year-old is a regular pundit on both radio and television.
He is reportedly being treated at St George’s Hospital, in Tooting Broadway, south-west London, known for one of the country’s best trauma units.
Ms Wilkins said he was going to have a scan next week, when they were hoping for an update on his condition.
“It’s a very difficult time for the family,” she said.
Wilkins, also known as “Butch”, made his debut for Chelsea in 1973, aged 17. He would go on to play for Manchester United, AC Milan and Paris St Germain.
Known for his passing ability, the midfielder also had two stints at Queens Park Rangers and played for a number clubs before ending his career at the end of the 1997 season at Leyton Orient.
He also won 84 England caps and captained the national side on 10 occasions, scoring three goals. He received an MBE at Buckingham Palace in 1993.
After hanging up his boots, he would go on to coach at a number of clubs, including Chelsea, Fulham, Watford and the Jordan national team.
Following a drink drive conviction in 2013, he admitted to being an alcoholic and sought help.
In an interview the following year, he said: “Footballers who think they are something special are making a terrible mistake.”
