Not only the novel Coronavirus pandemic has caused major disruption in world sports, but it has also affected many sportspersons, athletes and other iconic figures associated with sports in recent times. Kenny Dalglish, former Liverpool FC manager and a legend of the Premier League side, is the latest figure from the football fraternity who has contracted the virus, and is now hospitalised.
The news was aired through a statement released by Liverpool, as Dalglish’s family confirmed to the club on Friday that the former gaffer has been admitted to hospital on Wednesday on the heels of testing positive for the COVID-19 infection, but his condition is asymptomatic and his health isn’t in jeopardy, and has undergone antibiotic treatment.
The club also confirmed that the 69 year old former Scottish international has also passed his admiration towards the front line workers of the National Health Service (NHS).
“He (Dalglish) would like to take this opportunity to thank the brilliant NHS staff, whose dedication, bravery and sacrifice should be the focus of the nation’s attention at this extraordinary time,” an official statement from Liverpool read.
“He would also ask that they are given the space to do their jobs during what is an extremely challenging time for them and that his own family’s privacy is respected,” the statement added.
8 years after joining Liverpool in 1977 from Celtic, Dalglish became the player-manager of the EPL elites in 1985, and was associated with the club for 6 more years until he switched sides with Blackburn Rovers in 1991, which lifted the Premier League title in the 1994-95 season.
He returned to Anfield in 2011 as a caretaker after the sacking of Roy Hodgson. Despite winning the League Cup and reaching the FA Cup final, Dalglish was dismissed the next year as Liverpool had a lacklustre Premier League run in the season, finishing 8th in the league table.
In his 355 appearances for Liverpool, Dalglish scored 118 goals. The former striker also made 102 appearances for Scotland, scoring 30 times.
More than 1,600,000 positive Coronavirus cases have been confirmed all over the world till date, and the death toll has risen to 102,734.
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