South African defender Mark Fish has admitted taking the performance-enhancing drug EPO to aid his recovery from a serious chest injury. Fish, who has just signed a new one-year deal with Charlton Athletic, said he was cleared to use the drug to boost his red blood cells.
The defender's career could have ended in March when he fell on a glass vase.
"I lost so much blood that the English FA cleared me to use the drug to boost my red-blood count," Fish revealed.
Fish lost eight pints of blood during the incident, which happened at his home, and he needed 40 stitiches.
"My pulse was down to 20 beats per minute at one stage, and if I hadn't had the right people around I could have easily lost more blood," he added.
"My hemoglobin, or red-blood count, was down to 5.2 and usually it's 14."
EPO, or erythropoietin, is a hormone naturally produced by the body but is also available as a genetically engineered product which increases the number of oxygen-carrying red blood cells and, therefore, enhances aerobic and endurance capacity.
Fish said he hoped to come out of international retirement to play again for South Africa now that he is recovered.
MMIX
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