Former Liverpool player to represent Great Britain at Rio Paralympics

Published Nov. 15, 2016 2:43 p.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

Alex Dowd

Sean Highdale, a former Liverpool youth player, has been selected to represent Team Great Britain at the Paralympics in Rio this September. Highdale had aspirations of making Liverpool's senior team, and seemed to be on the right track with a few England call-ups under his belt, but it all changed for him in 2008.

Highdale and his friends were involved in a fatal car accident after leaving the movies when Highdale was 17. The crash killed two of his friends and put Highdale and another friend in a coma. Highdale came to days later, but he broke his ankle, tore three knee ligaments, shattered two neck bones and had a kidney removed in the aftermath of the accident.

"I had a bleed on the brain, however I am now on the right path," Highdale told the Liverpool Echo. With his hopes of playing for Liverpool's senior side dashed, Highdale turned to playing with Team GB's Cerebral Palsy squad. The Reds were behind Highdale every step of the way.

"They sent me to the best people and the best surgeons and they gave me the best rehab,” Highdale said. “I probably wouldn’t be here now if it wasn’t for them.” After his lengthy rehab, Highdale was named to Team GB's 14-man CP squad this week. Liverpool released a preview of the feature they're releasing on Sean's journey (seen above) with a full video set to release on Thursday.

MORE FROM FOX SOCCER:

share