Stephen Warnock reveals he concealed childhood seizures from Liverpool

Stephen Warnock said on 5 Live on 1 November 2026 that he hid his seizures from Liverpool as a youngster because he feared he would be released. The 44-year-old, who made 541 appearances as a professional, disclosed the matter while responding to an interview with Hull City midfielder Matt Crooks.

Warnock began his career in Liverpool's youth setup and went on to make 67 appearances for the senior team. He later had spells at Blackburn Rovers, Aston Villa and Leeds United before retiring from playing in 2018. He works as a pundit for 5 Live and, during the broadcast, opened up about his own experience of seizures for the first time.

Warnock said he suffered "a handful" of seizures while he was a youngster at Anfield, before he "grew out of it." He said: "I was petrified of telling Liverpool because I was worried of being released." He added: "Because I was thinking 'if they think I've got a condition they will release me'."

On the programme he described his concerns about having an episode during matches and the uncertainty of triggers, saying: "I was worried about being on the pitch and it happens. There were no triggers for me, I never knew what triggered it. That was what petrified me."

Warnock recounted his first seizure occurring at school: "I was at a computer and then I woke up in a hospital bed. And I was like 'wow, how have I got here?'. I didn't remember anything, I completely blacked out," he said. "My friends told me I started having a seizure. Obviously an ambulance was called and I was taken to a hospital bed."

Reflecting on his reaction at the time, he said: "I was embarrassed to be honest, because no-one else had it, no-one knew about it, I didn't know about it until it happened." After experiencing another seizure at his house he was sent for CT and MRI scans, and "It went on for three years or so," he added.

Warnock said he has not had a seizure since the age of 14 and that he "was in a fortunate position where I grew out of it." He added: "I didn't have to go on medication or worry about driving a car or things like that. It's the first time I've ever really spoken about it."

The article noted that epilepsy is a brain condition that affects around one in 100 people in the UK. According to charity Epilepsy Action, epilepsy in children is often identified when a child has one or more seizures, and medications can reduce or prevent epileptic seizures but they need careful management.