Robinson on the road back

Rovers goalkeeper Paul Robinson is back in training after recovering in full from a potentially life threatening health scare.

Robinson has been with Rovers since 2008, and had been a mainstay in the side all the way through the back end of last season – before being displaced by the up and coming Jake Kean.

The former Leeds and Spurs goalkeeper has now begun an 8 week pre-season programme in an attempt to come back and force his way back into favour at Ewood Park.

Robbo has been out of first team contention since the start of the year and has revealed the story behind the medical scare that could have put his life in jeopardy.

‘It was a Sunday night and my chest started getting really tight and I started coughing up blood,’ Robinson told Sky Sports.

‘Our lads were away at Cardiff and I phoned the doc and said something is not right.

‘He said, just to make sure, to pop down to my local A and E. So he sent me down with a diagnosis and text message and told me to give it to the doctor and they’d do all the checks.

‘I was there for a couple of hours and they sent me home as they said I was all right because it was just where they had put the tubes down my throat for my back operation.

‘But that night I was getting more and more chest pains and the next morning I was coughing up a lot more blood. I just felt like I had a huge man stood on my chest.

‘So I had the sense to phone the doc back again and he said ‘that’s not right’ and told me to get back to the hospital.

‘But as I was going back, he phoned and told me to go to Leeds General Infirmary because it was Easter Monday and they would have the people there to look after me.

”Am I going to die?’ was my first question. I was told ‘yes’, you could have died, but ‘no’ you’re not because we’ve caught it this early.

‘The doc at Blackburn was brilliant. For him to diagnose it over the phone like he did, I’m very grateful to him.’

Rovers are now looking to add Robinson back into the squad around Christmas time, with the 34 year old – who celebrates his birthday today – expected to challenge the new kid on the block and Simon Eastwood for the number one spot upon return.