Rugby coach's psychological struggle after coronavirus

A rugby league coach who was put on a ventilator as he battled coronavirus has said he has been suffering from "flashbacks and cold sweats".

Brendan Sheridan, 41, from Dewsbury, spent two weeks in an induced coma in intensive care.

The Oldham RLFC coach went from feeling "9 out of 10" to struggling to breathe in a matter of hours.

The father of three said: "It doesn't seem to be getting better. I've had about 20 hours sleep in two weeks."

Mr Sheridan was the first Covid-19 patient to be put on a ventilator at Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield after he fell ill in April.

He recalled waking up and feeling fine but by the evening it felt like "someone had literally squeezed the life out of me".

He was taken to hospital where his next recollection was waking up two weeks later.

He said although physically he was recovering, he was facing a mental struggle and had daily visions of not being able to say goodbye to his family and children.

He added: "Flashbacks, waking up in cold sweats, finding myself in different places of the bedroom not actually knowing why.

"The dreams are very vivid and it's just the shock and panic of not being able to breathe while I'm asleep."

Mr Sheridan said he was speaking out to help other people, especially men, who were struggling with their mental health.

"I've had a lot of things over a lot of years that I've held inside and because of what's happened in the last couple of weeks it's made me put pause on my life."

"Being in the sport that we are, especially rugby league, and just any sport in general for a male, to open up is a pretty tough task in itself.

"My advice to put out there is any man, whatever profession you're in, don't be ashamed to reach out.

"If it's not talking to a professional, grab hold of a friend or a family member and get things off your chest."

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