Heart checks needed says Brighton’s Goldson

Brighton defender Connor Goldson says clubs should carry out more checks on players in a bid to detect potential heart problems.

Goldson, 24, has not played competitively since January after the discovery of a swollen aorta.

Former Newcastle midfielder Cheick Tiote died in June after collapsing while training in China, and his fellow Ivorian Eugene Kouame died earlier this month after suffering a heart attack.

“You look at Tiote. You never know what can happen. Two players in the last few months is way too many,” Goldson told the Times on Wednesday.

“Football needs to do something. Every club needs to check at least once a year. Unfortunately players don’t get the scans.

“I never felt a thing. If my little story can make other clubs think they need to do a test, hopefully it can save other players.”

Goldson’s problem, which was discovered during routine screening by the club, meant he missed the closing stages of the Championship campaign as Chris Hughton’s side returned to the top-flight for the first time since 1983.

He could return to league action when Brighton begin the new season at home to Manchester City on August 12, and he would do so feeling fortunate to be alive.

“The surgeon explained it’s like a balloon and it gets bigger and bigger and it can just pop – or you can be fortunate and it never goes,” he said.

“The average person has (an aorta of) 4cm and you’re at risk at 5cm. My last scan was 4.9cm. So I was very close.”