Kevin McDonald: Fulham midfielder reveals kidney disease battle as he prepares for transplant | Football News

Fulham midfielder Kevin McDonald has revealed he’s placing his profession on maintain to have a kidney transplant.

The Scotland worldwide has been affected by kidney illness for round 14 years now, after a medical throughout his transfer from Dundee to Burnley when he was 18 highlighted some abnormalities.

McDonald has gone on to make over 500 skilled appearances and has represented his nation on 5 events, however now faces the prospect of getting surgical procedure – hopefully in April – to keep away from having to be positioned on dialysis.

The 32-year-old is hoping to play once more after the process, with family and friends having put themselves ahead to supply a alternative kidney, however McDonald has accepted he could have pulled on his boots for the ultimate time.

“Over time, my kidney perform has received worse. That is what occurs as a part of the illness, it will get worse over time,” McDonald advised Sky Sports activities Information.

“We hoped I may get by way of my soccer profession, then have a kidney transplant on the finish of it however, sadly, it isn’t occurred.

“I’ve received one kidney that does not work in any respect and one kidney that is about 10 per cent now. I have been taking part in with stage 1, to now stage 5 kidney illness, which is persistent kidney illness, kidney failure.

“Now we’re talking up on this as a result of lots of people have been asking me, ‘why are you not going out on mortgage, why are you not taking part in, why are you going into teaching so early?’.

“It is onerous to digest however soccer is second precedence now. My life, my household, my pals are primary, with my well being even on high of that.

“That is the place we’re at now and we have simply received to get on with it.”

As for the prospect of dealing with main surgical procedure to assist enhance his long-term well being, McDonald insists he has whole religion within the medical group who’ve been taking care of him.

He added: “By way of the transplant, I’ve all the time been relaxed about it. I’ve belief in my kidney group, I all the time have finished, in addition to medical doctors at my soccer golf equipment. Wolves and Fulham particularly, have been high drawer by way of taking good care of me.

“That is all the time reassured me and now assembly the surgeon and speaking to him, I’ve much more confidence in him to do the surgical procedure, which is main surgical procedure.

“It needs to be finished, whether or not it is now, on the finish of the yr, in 10 years, it needs to be finished in some unspecified time in the future.

“The way in which my thoughts is now, I need it finished, I need to get again to regular life. I take 10 tablets a day so I need to get again to regular life and hopefully it would quickly be like that.

“I’ve all the time been within the boat of ‘let’s go on so long as we are able to, at the most effective degree we are able to’.

“I am going off the physician’s recommendation and my kidney group’s recommendation. In the event that they stated to me, ‘hear, you must retire tomorrow’, I might be finished.”