CHELSEA keeper Mike Penders has revealed he feared choking to death … after being trapped in a lift with five team-mates.
The Blues paid KRC Genk £17million for the Belgium Under-19 captain last August.
Penders rejoined the Pro League club on loan and is due to begin his Stamford Bridge career next summer after penning a deal until 2032.
But the 19-year-old underwent a terrifying ordeal during Genk’s midwinter training camp in Spain.
He recalled: “The camp was very positive. We trained well, and there was a great atmosphere.
“But we had quite an experience. Six of us got into a lift that was supposed to hold up to eight people.
“But it behaved very strangely, and went just a foot before coming to a stop with a jolt. At first we had a laugh about it.
“But the banter dried up once it became clear that we could not get the doors to open.
“It became warmer and warmer inside the lift, and we could feel our oxygen supplies running out. It made us think about what could happen.
“We were able to get Wifi reception off and on, so I quickly began surfing on my phone.
FOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS
“It turned out that we could still survive for five more hours, so that there was no need for us to panic.
“Meanwhile we managed to get hold of other team-mates and club staff members.
“In the end, after three quarters of an hour, someone from the hotel was able to use a special key to release us.”
Penders also revealed Blues boss Enzo Maresca is keeping tabs on his progress.
He added: “Chelsea are following my performances for Genk closely.
“Their head goalkeeping coach often gets in contact with me, and we’ll discuss the videos he was watched of my games.”
