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Ex-Chelsea star 'three weeks from death' turned to his 'family' at Premier League club
WARNING, GRAPHIC CONTENT David Lee overcame a "crater-sized" stomach tumour before a blood clot almost ravaged his heart, but in his hour of need his former club Chelsea stepped in
Ex-Chelsea star David Lee has revealed he was "three weeks from death" after a missed blood clot almost ravaged his heart and body.
The former defender, who joined Chelsea as a boy and made 196 appearances for the Blues, spent a decade at Stamford Bridge. However, after scoring on his debut in a 2-1 win over Leicester City in 1988, his 10 years at the Premier League giants was punctuated by multiple loan spells to Reading, Plymouth Argyle, Portsmouth and Sheffield United.
The ex-England U21 star later moved permanently to Bristol Rovers, before turning out for Crystal Palace, Exeter City, Parramatta Power, Havant & Waterlooville and Forest Green Rovers. Following a spell as an assistant manager at Northampton Town he retired from the game in search of a less eventful life, but was then diagnosed with a "crater-sized" stomach tumour, a graphic photograph of which can be seen below.
Lee underwent treatment and was given the all-clear in October 2020, though had to remain an outpatient for regular check-ups. And it was during these that something even more horrifying was discovered.
The 55-year-old said: "There was a huge clot in my heart. I felt numb and sick to my stomach when they first told me. I had no symptoms at all - but if I had left it another three weeks, I wouldn’t be here today."
Lee, who lives in Bath, told NeedToKnow how he counts himself "extremely lucky" to have found the clot when he did. He explained the cause of the potentially fatal clot was due to narrowing of his arteries.
He was offered open-heart surgery, though there was an eight-month wait list on the NHS. Instead, he went privately, going through the triple bypass operation in February 2025. And it was all at the expense of Chelsea FC - who funded the £28,000 surgery.
He said: "When I told them what was going on, they were shocked. They called me and said they'd cover the bill. I was totally overwhelmed by their decision.
"It was such a lovely thing to do, as they didn't need to do it. But I'm regarded as family – as are they to me."
Lee added: "Emotionally, it was tough. I didn’t know if I was going to wake up after the surgery. But when I woke up, I was relieved.
"There were tubes in my chest and a line of stitches across my sternum, but I felt a sense of gratitude."
After a quicker-than-anticipated recovery, Lee went to visit his football family to celebrate at Chelsea's 1-0 win over Tottenham at Stamford Bridge in April.
He now takes prescribed tablets to monitor his heart, as well as going to regular check-ups.
Lee also recently completed a charity bike ride from Saltford to Stamford Bridge to raise money for the British Heart Foundation and Chelsea Past Players Trust – with more than £7,265 donated.
The ex-footballer added: "I feel much better in myself and like life has given me a second chance. My advice is to always get checked regularly and if you feel unwell or have any symptoms, such as shortness of breath or pain in the chest, go to the doctor immediately.
"I didn’t get any symptoms, though I urge people not to put it off. It might be too late otherwise. Recovery has given me time to reflect.
"I don’t want this chapter of my life to be defined by surgery, but by what I chose to do with my second chance."
Daily Star Sunday
WARNING, GRAPHIC CONTENT David Lee overcame a "crater-sized" stomach tumour before a blood clot almost ravaged his heart, but in his hour of need his former club Chelsea stepped in
Ex-Chelsea star David Lee has revealed he was "three weeks from death" after a missed blood clot almost ravaged his heart and body.
The former defender, who joined Chelsea as a boy and made 196 appearances for the Blues, spent a decade at Stamford Bridge. However, after scoring on his debut in a 2-1 win over Leicester City in 1988, his 10 years at the Premier League giants was punctuated by multiple loan spells to Reading, Plymouth Argyle, Portsmouth and Sheffield United.
The ex-England U21 star later moved permanently to Bristol Rovers, before turning out for Crystal Palace, Exeter City, Parramatta Power, Havant & Waterlooville and Forest Green Rovers. Following a spell as an assistant manager at Northampton Town he retired from the game in search of a less eventful life, but was then diagnosed with a "crater-sized" stomach tumour, a graphic photograph of which can be seen below.
Lee underwent treatment and was given the all-clear in October 2020, though had to remain an outpatient for regular check-ups. And it was during these that something even more horrifying was discovered.
The 55-year-old said: "There was a huge clot in my heart. I felt numb and sick to my stomach when they first told me. I had no symptoms at all - but if I had left it another three weeks, I wouldn’t be here today."
Lee, who lives in Bath, told NeedToKnow how he counts himself "extremely lucky" to have found the clot when he did. He explained the cause of the potentially fatal clot was due to narrowing of his arteries.
He was offered open-heart surgery, though there was an eight-month wait list on the NHS. Instead, he went privately, going through the triple bypass operation in February 2025. And it was all at the expense of Chelsea FC - who funded the £28,000 surgery.
He said: "When I told them what was going on, they were shocked. They called me and said they'd cover the bill. I was totally overwhelmed by their decision.
"It was such a lovely thing to do, as they didn't need to do it. But I'm regarded as family – as are they to me."
Lee added: "Emotionally, it was tough. I didn’t know if I was going to wake up after the surgery. But when I woke up, I was relieved.
"There were tubes in my chest and a line of stitches across my sternum, but I felt a sense of gratitude."
After a quicker-than-anticipated recovery, Lee went to visit his football family to celebrate at Chelsea's 1-0 win over Tottenham at Stamford Bridge in April.
He now takes prescribed tablets to monitor his heart, as well as going to regular check-ups.
Lee also recently completed a charity bike ride from Saltford to Stamford Bridge to raise money for the British Heart Foundation and Chelsea Past Players Trust – with more than £7,265 donated.
The ex-footballer added: "I feel much better in myself and like life has given me a second chance. My advice is to always get checked regularly and if you feel unwell or have any symptoms, such as shortness of breath or pain in the chest, go to the doctor immediately.
"I didn’t get any symptoms, though I urge people not to put it off. It might be too late otherwise. Recovery has given me time to reflect.
"I don’t want this chapter of my life to be defined by surgery, but by what I chose to do with my second chance."
Daily Star Sunday