Kevin Blackwell has revealed that midfielder Lee Williamson almost fell victim to tragedy earlier this summer.

The midfielder, signed from Watford a year ago, suffered a setback during surgery that could have proved fatal.

Blackwell said: "Lee has had a terrible summer so far. He had a bulging disc in his back, the same as he had just after he came which resulted in him struggling to regain fitness.

"It was a problem to him late on last season and at times he was playing in pain because we were short of bodies, so we decided to whip him out, move quickly and get the job done.

"But when he had the operation in London, complications set in which led to him being on a life-support machine for three days.

"It came out of the blue, infection set in and he is lucky to be alive, but his wife, Gemma, has been a tower of strength and we have kept in touch with her.

"He is now recovering and we will have to wait for the specialists' assessment to see if those complications will affect his recovery."

We are sure that all Blades fans will join the Club in wishing Lee a full and speedy recovery.