ESPN analyst Shaka Hislop said on Monday he was thankful for the support he received from friends and family and would be seeking medical advice from his doctor after collapsing on air ahead of an exhibition match between Real Madrid and AC Milan at the Rose Bowl on Sunday night.
“Well, that was awkward. What a 24 hours this has been,” Hislop began in a video statement on Monday. “That was big. Every so often life gives you moments to pause and this was mine. There is so much I have to be thankful for, my wife, kids, family, friends, for people I’ve shared a space with over the years.
“To all those that I’ve lost touch with over the years that have reached out either directly or indirectly, thank you. My response now has to be to seek out the best medical opinion I can get and listen to what my doctor has to say.”
Hislop was speaking on camera with co-host Dan Thomas before kickoff of the Champions Tour match between Milan and Madrid when he stumbled and fell toward his partner. Thomas immediately gestured to security to get medical staff on the field to assist Hislop.
The match went ahead and Thomas posted on social media shortly after kickoff that Hislop was conscious and that “medics were looking after him.”
At half-time of the match, a relieved-looking Thomas went on air and reiterated what he said in his tweet. He added that Hislop’s family had been informed that he was doing OK, but that it was “too early for any kind of medical diagnosis.”
“In closing, I’d like to say thanks to Dan and the ESPN family, the camera operators, the medical staff at the Rose Bowl, and all those that responded in the way they did and afforded me the care that I got” Hislop added. “Thank you.”
Hislop had a long career as a goalkeeper in England, playing for West Ham, Newcastle and Portsmouth as well as the Trinidad and Tobago national team. He joined ESPN as an analyst in 2008 and is a regular contributor for ESPN FC.