FORMER Salford City boss Anthony Johnson revealed he almost died in a horror Covid battle.
The 38-year-old — who rose to fame in the BBC documentary about the Class of 92’s ownership of the club — suffered kidney failure and pneumonia when he contracted the virus.
He said: “It was the scariest time of my life. For a day or two, I thought that was it.”
Johnson (left) tested positive for Covid last month — after his daughter, Bella caught it at school.
He isolated and experienced flu-like symptoms but things took a turn for the worse and he was taken to hospital with serious breathing problems.
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Paramedics arriving at his home were even forced to use a defibrillator to shock him back to life after they struggled to find a pulse.
The father-of-three — who is now co-manager at Chester — had to wait five hours before he was taken in because the Bury hospital was overwhelmed.
He said: “At this point, I was thinking I could have been dead — because if they hadn’t found my pulse, I wouldn’t have known any different.
“I’d just had this defib and I’m in an ambulance bed thinking that I’m done.
“Those paramedics were with me for nearly five hours. So while they’re sat with me — not being able to do anything apart from making sure I don’t die — there are other people not being seen to.”
Johnson was eventually taken to the Covid ward where he was put in a bed next to elderly patients.
I’m a nobody, I’m not a celebrity, I’m not a famous football manager. But I’ve had thousands and thousands and thousands of messages from people
Anthony Johnson
He was diagnosed with pneumonia, was forced to wear an oxygen mask and could not move without using a wheelchair.
He said: “I was saying to the nurses and doctors, ‘I know I’m not as poorly as everyone else is in here.
“And the doctor said, ‘You are, your kidneys are failing, your blood oxygen level is lower than anybody else’s in here, you’re as poorly — if not worse — than everybody else’.
“When he said that it struck a chord with me at how close I was to probably dying.”
To make things even worse, Johnson could not see wife Kayla and kids Lewis, 16, Bella, nine, and Zac, seven.
After seven nights in hospital, Johnson is now feeling “a million times better” — and was overwhelmed by the support of Chester.
He added: “It has just been absolutely unbelievable. You realise how important you are to some people.
“I’m a nobody, I’m not a celebrity, I’m not a famous football manager. But I’ve had thousands and thousands and thousands of messages from people.
“The players sent me a montage video with them and Bernard Morley, our co-manager.
“I cried. Before that, I’d never cried in my whole life.”
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