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Matteo And His Wife On How He Beat A Brain Tumour And Is On The Mend

2020-06-25T17:22:35Z

AOIJacki83455432: Created page with "This story will conclude with a ringing bell and thunderous applause but it must start with a blaring siren and flashing blue lights. It was Monday, November 11 when the b..."

This story will conclude with a ringing bell and thunderous applause but it must start with a blaring siren and flashing blue lights. It was Monday, November 11 when the ballet class Jessica Matteo was teaching was interrupted by a phone call. Her husband Dominic was in Calderdale Hospital, near Huddersfield. His condition was critical. ‘It's the call everyone dreads,' Jessica tells Sportsmail from their home near Halifax. ‘It's the one where your world falls apart.' Former Liverpool defender Dominic Matteo is on the mend after treatment for a brain tumour Matteo spent eight years at Liverpool and also featured for Leeds and Scotland during career RELATED ARTICLES [# Previous] [# 1] [# Next] [/sport/sportsnews/article-8254667/Derby-furlough-23-squad-April-May.html Derby furlough Under-23 squad for April and May as Wayne...] [/sport/football/article-8254075/Luton-boss-Graeme-Jones-leaves-club-agreeing-terminate-contract.html Unbeaten in their last three games, in their best form for...] [/sport/football/article-8253997/Chelsea-planning-hold-Kepa-Arrizabalaga-fears-goalkeepers-value-dropped.html Chelsea are planning to KEEP Kepa Arrizabalaga after fears...] [/sport/football/article-8254111/Neville-Carragher-make-world-football-draft-picks-Kylian-Mbappe-topping-lists.html Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher make their 'world football...] Share this article Share 4k shares Dominic — a cultured defender who played for, among others, Liverpool, Leeds and Scotland during a 15-year top-flight career — had been due to go to Singapore with his old Anfield team-mates for an exhibition game and had seen some of them the previous day. He had worked for the club's in-house TV channel, analysing the 3-1 blitzing of Manchester City, but came off air complaining of a persistent headache. The pain had gnawed away for a couple of days but visits to an optician and a doctor had proved inconclusive. Hospital was the next stop. Matteo had gone in hoping to be diagnosed with a virus, but to the couple's horror, he was found to have a brain tumour — a rare condition called ependymoma rela fusion. So began a sequence of events that concluded with him being rushed to Leeds General Infirmary for emergency surgery to save his life. ‘The following day, [https://cricketnfootballcenter.blogspot.com/2020/06/steven-gerrard-and-family.html cricketnfootballcenter.blogspot.com] they said they were going to do a planned operation on the Friday,' Jessica explains. ‘I got his Mum (Marie) and Dad (Albert) over from Liverpool; they are both in their 80s and that was traumatic in itself. We went to the hospital on Wednesday for what they call "the family meeting". Dominic's wife Jessica explained how her world fell apart when he was rushed to hospital ‘At this point, Dom was in a wheelchair. He was unable to walk, his eyes were completely glazed over. He deteriorated so quickly. We took him back to his room and put him to bed. I drove home with Marie and Albert, but as I got on to the drive, I got a call to say he'd had a massive seizure. ‘They said they were resuscitating him and doing everything they could, but could I get back to the hospital? I did, as fast as I could. I drove like a lunatic back to Leeds, which is half an hour away. You can imagine what that was like. Dom was unconscious when I got there and a team was working on him. ‘It was unreal, how they made these decisions. It was like a scene from The Avengers. They were gathered around him, saving his life. They took him away from me at 5.15pm. They phoned me in the early hours to say they had saved him and got rid of 95 per cent of the tumour.' Jessica takes the lead in this part of the conversation as Dominic's short-term memory is patchy. He has been through such a trauma that he must learn to read and write again and he has lost the peripheral vision in his right eye. Dominic's short-term memory remains patchy but his life was saved in emergency surgery This, however, is not an interview where self-pity ever becomes a topic. An hour with the Matteos is uplifting, genuinely feel-good at a time when we need it most. It also provides a reminder of how precious and fragile life is; how it must be cherished at all times. This, Dominic knows, is a second chance. He has it thanks to the outstanding work of surgeon Dr Ryan Mathew, who performed the operation. Immediately after the procedure, he thought Dominic had lost the sight of his right eye but he stayed behind for an hour to monitor him. When Dr Mathew — a Manchester United fan — shone a light into his eye, Dominic's pupil began to respond and he knew the outcome would be positive. Others, too, played huge roles, such as his oncologist Professor Susan Short and all the nurses at Leeds General. ‘Dr Mathew checked in on Dom every single day, popping his head around the door,' Jessica says. ‘He was overjoyed at what he had managed to do, in removing so much of the tumour. Everyone just went above and beyond. I'm sure they would do it for everyone.' Matteo, 45, has certainly come to appreciate this over the last six months. When news was released of his condition, Jessica found herself inundated with messages from far and wide; there were so many, it took them two or three weeks to take it all in. Matteo pictured with staples in his head following his life-saving brain operation ‘I have had so much help from Leeds and Liverpool and it means so much,' he says, his voice as clear as this observer has always known it to be. ‘Sometimes it's the unexpected call that means the world to you. So many people have taken the time to speak to me.' Someone at Liverpool, for instance, put together a 10-minute montage of video clips featuring John Barnes, Steve McManaman, Jamie Redknapp, Kenny Dalglish, Robbie Fowler and Michael Owen; Rio Ferdinand, Matteo's defensive partner at Elland Road, also makes an appearance. Jose Enrique, another former Liverpool defender, who recovered from a similar surgery last year, has been a constant caller providing messages of support. Matteo was a hugely popular figure with his team-mates and managers. David O'Leary, who signed him for Leeds in 2000, was the first to visit him in hospital, along with Eddie Gray, who ‘jumped on the bus' to come to see Matteo, with whom he had done ambassadorial work at Elland Road. Dominic knows this is a second chance and it provides a reminder of how fragile life can be ‘There were days when I was reading messages to Dom and he wasn't retaining the information,' Jessica says. ‘We kept going over and over and over it, as it would bring a smile to his face. A lot of the lads were sending voice notes. Jamie Redknapp was always on.' Dominic interjects: ‘Jamie and Harry Redknapp called on Christmas Day. Razor (Neil Ruddock) was always sending me daft little songs; Macca, Robbie. Little Davie Thompson didn't know what to say. He was crying his eyes out, panicking. These were lads that I have grown up with all my life. ‘Carra (Jamie Carragher) sent me some nice messages. Lucas Radebe, my old mate. We've been through a lot together. His wife passed away and I went to her funeral in South Africa. We have been really close. He sends me messages most weeks. ‘Erik Bakke is another; Liam Cooper has been really good — he is the voice of everyone now. I've got to mention Big Norm (the late Norman Hunter) as well. I was working for the club, doing stuff with him, Eddie and Peter Lorimer, who has not been too well. That whole Leeds United crowd have been really great. ‘I feel like I have an equal affinity for Leeds and Liverpool. Liverpool is my team, that will never change, but I married into Leeds!' Dominic and Jessica have made huge changes to their life and are upbeat about the future Known as ‘San Siro Dom' for the goal he scored against AC Milan in the Champions League in November 2000, his affinity for Elland Road is huge. That famous old stadium, where he spent four seasons, has also been a factor in helping him regain his health. Leeds, before the lockdown started, let him use a private box to meet his life coach Rob Lattibeaudiere, who has been instrumental in improving his mental health. ‘Every time I went to Elland Road after my treatment, I felt lifted,' Dominic says. ‘There was an excitement about me. It's not very exciting when you are having treatment every day, radiotherapy every day. ‘But, going for that, I felt a bit more life inside me. Seeing the stadium was brilliant.' Together, Dominic and Jessica have made huge changes to their life. They have changed their diets — ‘I'm drinking a lot of stuff that is green,' he points out with a laugh — and, slowly but surely, he is taking on exercise once more. ‘We have cut out all red meat,' Jessica says. ‘No sugar. Everything he eats is alkaline. Steven Gerrard sends us alkaline water, which is really, really kind of him. We do lots of juicing, smoothie making.' Dominic posted a photo of himself on Instagram ringing a bell after the end of his treatment So no Guinness that he was once partial to? ‘Not forever!' Dominic replies, laughing again. ‘You have to have things to look forward to. I had a bacon sandwich this morning — a small one! We balance it as much as we can. It's good to look forward.' And that is what he is determined to do. On Thursday, Dominic posted a photo of himself on Instagram, ringing a bell at St James's Hospital in Leeds. It was taken on February 5 after he had completed a six-week course of treatment. The rest of the tumour had gone. It was a moment of huge emotion, filled with cheers and tears. But they then had an agonising wait of 11 weeks for confirmation that the treatment had worked, after scans had to be cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak. Dominic went in to be scanned on April 17 and, on Thursday, the couple announced that he had been given the all clear. The family were forced to endure an 11-week wait for confirmation with the scans cancelled There is still a long way to go but from where they were last November, when life was hanging in the balance, their happiness is overwhelming. ‘I have got three kids,' Dominic says, proudly. ‘They have played a massive part in my recovery, always reminding me that life goes on. And Jess has been my rock. ‘I've had a brilliant life but I won't say I have had it easy on the way up. I lost my brother, I lost my sister. Jessica has lost her mum. ‘We have suffered losses. Loss changes your whole being. You know you will never be that person and I know I cannot go back to being the person I was before. ‘Everyone has been so good to me. Liverpool and Sky have said there will be work for me and just knowing that you have something spurs you on. I have to learn to read and write again. It will take me a while. But I will get there. I'm sure of that.' RELATED ARTICLES [# Previous] [# 1] [# Next] [/sport/sportsnews/article-8254667/Derby-furlough-23-squad-April-May.html Derby furlough Under-23 squad for April and May as Wayne...] [/sport/football/article-8254075/Luton-boss-Graeme-Jones-leaves-club-agreeing-terminate-contract.html Unbeaten in their last three games, in their best form for...] [/sport/football/article-8253997/Chelsea-planning-hold-Kepa-Arrizabalaga-fears-goalkeepers-value-dropped.html Chelsea are planning to KEEP Kepa Arrizabalaga after fears...] [/sport/football/article-8254111/Neville-Carragher-make-world-football-draft-picks-Kylian-Mbappe-topping-lists.html Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher make their 'world football...] Share this article Share 4k shares

Apos;Gerrard Needs Time And Money apos Says Ex-Rangers Boss Warburton

2020-06-25T14:17:26Z

AOIJacki83455432: Created page with "Mark Warburton will spend the fifth anniversary of his appointment at Ibrox immersed in thoughts about the other [/sport/teampages/rangers.html Rangers]. The English Champi..."

Mark Warburton will spend the fifth anniversary of his appointment at Ibrox immersed in thoughts about the other [/sport/teampages/rangers.html Rangers]. The English Championship restarts this week. And Warburton's [/sport/teampages/queens-park-rangers.html Queens Park Rangers] will be heading to Barnsley on Saturday afternoon. Preparing for a comeback amid ‘the new normal' is more than enough to keep any manager busy. Occupying a solid mid-table position, Warburton's employers will surpass their points total from the whole of last season if they win the first of nine remaining games. Progress looks assured in West [/news/london/index.html London]. Mark Warburton will be immersed in thoughts about the other Rangers this weekend RELATED ARTICLES [# Previous] [# 1] [# Next] [/sport/football/article-8419967/Neil-Lennon-talks-Chris-Sutton-helping-make-Virgil-van-Dijk-world-beater.html 'I'll take great pride in seeing Van Dijk win the title at...] [/sport/football/article-8420423/Billy-Gilmour-develop-world-class-midfielder-Scotland-Chelsea-says-Mark-Warburton.html 'I think Scotland have a future world-class midfield...] [/sport/football/article-8412713/Aberdeen-boss-Derek-McInnes-warned-no-fire-sale-best-talent.html Aberdeen boss Derek McInnes warned there will be no fire...] [/sport/football/article-8408717/Scottish-clubs-urged-support-permanent-switch-14-team-Premiership.html Scottish clubs urged to support a permanent switch to a...] Share this article Share 28 shares That may be where the 57-year-old's ambitions now lie, but he eagerly hopes to hear a positive bulletin from the south side of Glasgow once Scottish football emerges from its own lockdown. Steven Gerrard will be wished every bit of good luck going in his bid to turn Rangers into champions. Positive thoughts can only go so far, of course. When it comes to stopping a richer Celtic with the history of ten in a row in their sights, Warburton believes Gerrard needs to continue receiving a more tangible form of support — namely financial backing for additions in the mould of their recent £3million-signing Ianis Hagi. ‘Rangers are getting a lot closer to Celtic but you still need to support Steven,' Warburton told Sportsmail. ‘You need to make sure he can not just close the gap, but get there and go beyond. ‘I think he has done a great job and I very much hope they keep on backing him. That's what he needs because I'm sure the other side of Glasgow will be keen to push for the tenth. You really hope that Rangers do what they have to do to support Steven and stop it. Warburton says Steven Gerrard needs to continue receiving a more tangible form of support ‘Of course, there will be big pressure, but then Steven had almost 20 years as a world-class player dealing with pressure. He will understand the pressure, even with the different perspective of a manager. He knows what it takes to win big games of football. ‘As I said, I think it is all about backing Steven. Give him the time, the support and the confidence any manager needs — no matter who you are. ‘The likes of (Ianis) Hagi, you need that level of player to come to Ibrox. It's a great theatre.' The curtain fell on Warburton's show after 20 months. Appointed on June 15, 2015, he won Rangers promotion from the Championship, beat Celtic in a Scottish Cup semi-final, lost the final to Hibernian and didn't reach the end of his only Premiership season. Pedro Caixinha proved an expensive disaster as successor, bracketed by two interim spells of Graeme Murty's leadership. Now Gerrard is approaching a third season in charge, making him the longest-serving incumbent since Ally McCoist. Curtain fell on Warburton after 20 months despite gaining promotion from the Championship While effusive on the ‘privilege' of managing Rangers, Warburton (left) felt time and money were both issues during his own tenure. He expresses regret at not speaking out more on the latter. ‘At a club like Rangers, the average supporter has been brought up with players like Gascoigne, McCoist, Amoruso, Laudrup, Souness and so on,' he said. ‘Great, world-class players. ‘We were in a situation where we had no money. But I didn't use the media wisely enough. I hoped very much that people would see and understand but I should have been blunter. ‘You look at the first people coming in, the likes of Tavernier and Waghorn — £200,000 or so. Halliday, free. Holt, free. Foderingham, free. We should have been more vocal to say the club is not in a position to go and rival Celtic. But if you do that, [https://cricketnfootballcenter.blogspot.com/2020/06/steven-gerrard-and-family.html cricketnfootballcenter.blogspot.com] the other side of the coin is that you are seen as being negative or lacking ambition. ‘There is always a balancing act to play. But in hindsight I wish I had that knowledge so that I could be very clear.' Rangers boss Steven Gerrard can handle pressure of altering the Old Firm balance of power Warburton made a number of solid additions for Rangers on a prudent budget, the most durable of which has been current captain Tavernier. But the counter-argument is that spending more — be it on wages or fees — didn't always deliver results. Joey Barton's addition became a fiasco, his contract terminated five months after his arrival following a suspension on disciplinary grounds. By then, signs of tension in the relationship between Warburton and the Ibrox hierarchy were starting to emerge. ‘Learning about the board was another lesson, understanding the board at such a big club are basically fanatical supporters,' admitted the Londoner, who was hired after a successful spell in charge of Brentford. ‘My background was KPIs (key performance indicators), sorting short, medium and longer-term targets and achieving those goals. ‘But you have to realise the emotion and passion of a club like Rangers in a city like Glasgow becomes very influential. That's a lesson I would have loved to have known in advance but it's all part of life.' Rangers lost the first three Old Firm games of the 2016-17 season — including a 5-1 drubbing at Parkhead — as Celtic marched towards an Invincible Treble under newly-appointed manager Brendan Rodgers. Rangers fans have been brought up on Gascoigne, McCoist, Amoruso, Laudrup and Souness Warburton's side were 27 points adrift when his controversial exit was confirmed on February 10, 2017 (the gap would grow to 39 points by the end of the season) but he argues that basic fact cannot portray the full picture. ‘I have an enormous respect for Brendan,' he continued. ‘I think Celtic brought him in because we had beaten them (in the 2016 Scottish Cup semi-final) and they felt we were a threat again. They responded. ‘Brendan then has one of the best years in Celtic's history. I got lambasted by Chris Sutton and others for saying they will regress to the mean. Sure enough, the next season it returned to a more normal level of games lost and drawn etc. Celtic had had a stellar year. ‘The target set for us was to get into Europe in the third year as a non-negotiable. We were in the European places in our second year. ‘But what took over was: "We can't be trailing 20 points behind Celtic. This doesn't happen in Rangers' history". ‘We weren't the Rangers of 2011 then. We were the Rangers of free transfers and low wages, way behind Celtic's budget. ‘We had guys who would bleed for the club, but they were coming up against Celtic having a record year. ‘It was panic, I think. The passion of the rivalry took over and the decision was made. But the bigger picture was that we were on track and in good shape.' The Rangers chairman Dave King has said Warburton's agent approached Rangers asking that they waive their right to compensation if a club made an approach. That was effectively viewed as a resignation and accepted, but Warburton has always firmly denied quitting. ‘We all have to grow and move on,' he reflected. ‘I wish Steven and the club all the best, I really do. I can't wait to see them get back to the top of the tree. The 2019-20 season in Scotland was called to a halt this month, crowning Celtic as champions ‘I'm in a fantastic position now with QPR — I'm very happy to be here — but Glasgow Rangers is one of the biggest clubs in the world. For people to think you would walk out on that is nonsense. I've said it very politely every time. ‘They did what they did. I found out by watching Sky Sports and it's all old news. ‘What frustrates me — and I see it at many clubs, not just what happened to me and Rangers — is that when a manager leaves they open the chequebook. ‘I've never met Pedro Caixinha. I'm sure he is a lovely guy and someone who has done extremely well in Mexico. But suddenly I'm watching money being spent. ‘We bought Joe Garner as our record signing and sold him for a very small loss. Other than that, there was hardly any money. People were suggesting Niko Kranjcar was on £25,000 per week. He was on a fraction of that.' Warburton joined Nottingham Forest shortly after leaving Rangers, but was sacked nine months later. ‘Brendan is a friend, who I knew from Watford,' he said. ‘He spoke to me after what happened at Rangers and said I should take six months out. Other people I know said similar. ‘It was two-and-a-bit weeks down the line when I got the call from Forest. They have fantastic history and pedigree. There are not many people who would turn that down. ‘You could give yourself a six-month sabbatical but there might not be many jobs out there. Even now, there are a lot of big-name British managers who are not working.' QPR looks like a happier home. Appointed last May, Warburton has made the Loftus Road club third-top scorers in the Championship — albeit only one team has conceded more. A late push for a play-off place could yet be possible if their defence can tighten up. The challenge is very different to the one taken on exactly five years ago. Promotion was a necessity in the 2015/16 season. And Rangers claimed the second-tier title by an 11-point margin. ‘The unveiling was a mad day with all the photographers and so on,' recalled Warburton. ‘But it was really over a glass of wine with David (Weir) that evening that I realised the privilege of managing such a huge club. ‘I always use that word "privilege" because it is. Anyone who says otherwise is deluded. It's a magnificent club. Working there changes your whole perspective. ‘When we arrived, we were caught in the mix of being a Championship club but what should really be the biggest club in Scotland. That was something we had to deal with but I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. ‘I'm a better manager and a better person for having had that experience.' RELATED ARTICLES [# Previous] [# 1] [# Next] [/sport/football/article-8419967/Neil-Lennon-talks-Chris-Sutton-helping-make-Virgil-van-Dijk-world-beater.html 'I'll take great pride in seeing Van Dijk win the title at...] [/sport/football/article-8420423/Billy-Gilmour-develop-world-class-midfielder-Scotland-Chelsea-says-Mark-Warburton.html 'I think Scotland have a future world-class midfield...] [/sport/football/article-8412713/Aberdeen-boss-Derek-McInnes-warned-no-fire-sale-best-talent.html Aberdeen boss Derek McInnes warned there will be no fire...] [/sport/football/article-8408717/Scottish-clubs-urged-support-permanent-switch-14-team-Premiership.html Scottish clubs urged to support a permanent switch to a...] Share this article Share 28 shares

User:AOIJacki83455432

2020-06-25T13:53:08Z

AOIJacki83455432: Created page with "Former Wigan striker Hugo Rodallega has claimed that he often saw [/sport/wayne_rooney/index.html Wayne Rooney] 'drinking like a madman' and [https://cricketnfootballcenter.b..."

Former Wigan striker Hugo Rodallega has claimed that he often saw [/sport/wayne_rooney/index.html Wayne Rooney] 'drinking like a madman' and [https://cricketnfootballcenter.blogspot.com/2020/06/steven-gerrard-and-family.html cricketnfootballcenter.blogspot.com] Steven Gerrard 'dancing on a bar topless' during nights out up north. Stop by my webpage: [https://cricketnfootballcenter.blogspot.com/2020/06/steven-gerrard-and-family.html cricketnfootballcenter.blogspot.com]