Birmingham City goalkeeper Neil Etheridge has paid tribute to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital staff who looked after him after he was knocked down by Covid.
Stopper Etheridge, who switched to the blues in the summer of 2020, was hospitalized with a particularly bad bout of the virus and stayed in QE in Edgbaston for a short time.
After returning home to fully relax with his family, Etheridge has now traveled back to Wast Hills to meet up with his Blues teammates, which is a huge step forward.
Upon his return, Etheridge publicly thanked the QE staff for the professional care they provided in his need and also recognized his appreciation for the love, support and messages he had received from blues supporters and club staff as well as his immediate family and friends.
“I just wanted to say a big thank you to all of the great staff at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham for everything they have done for me,” said Etheridge. “You are really amazing at what you do and I will be eternally grateful for how you looked after me through these tough days and nights.
“To be in the state I was in, where I am now, I will always be grateful. For the hundreds of messages from supporters here at Blues and beyond. I’ve read every single one! They really pulled me through the extremely difficult time that I and my family were going through.
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“The support and the love were fantastic. I’m very grateful to my friends, family, and everyone at @BCFC who made sure I never fight alone. Thank you.”
Etheridge added that “the road to recovery begins now” and that it “will take a while” before it is competitive again.
Blues has since brought in Matija Sarkic from Wolverhampton Wanderers as cover, while Etheridge is back on track, while Lee Bowyer can also fall back on the young couple Connal Trueman and Zach Jeacock.
