Youngs underwent heart surgery after collapsing

Former England scrum-half Ben Youngs says he underwent bosom room this twelvemonth aft collapsing during an unfastened training convention pinch Leicester Tigers.

The 34-year-old, who is England's most-capped men's player, has been diagnosed pinch an irregular, external and abnormally fast, external heartbeat.

Youngs had room aft nan incident astatine Welford Road but says he expects to beryllium afloat fresh for nan commencement of nan caller Premiership play successful September.

Speaking connected his For The Love Of Rugby podcast, which he co-hosts pinch Tigers teammate Dan Cole, Youngs said: "You cognize erstwhile we joked astir connected nan pod rather a while back, and we had this unfastened training convention astatine Leicester, and I said I was doing fitness, and fundamentally I collapsed.

"Well, not collapsed, but I had to extremity and laic down arsenic my bosom was pounding away, and nan rainfall was hitting maine successful nan face, and I benignant of rolled my caput to nan broadside and looked astatine each these admiring fans - 30 of them - that were each packed retired successful nan main guidelines astatine Leicester.

"And I thought: 'This is it, this is really I'm gonna go'.

"I've fundamentally had a fewer of these episodes and I've had it my full life. It tin conscionable benignant of spontaneously hap astatine immoderate shape of your life aliases career. And truthful I person had it my full life, chartless to me."

Youngs amassed 127 caps earlier retiring from world work aft nan 2023 World Cup.

He added: "The nine person been amazing, arsenic they truthful often are pinch thing for illustration this. I sewage checked nan first clip it happened, [then] a 2nd clip it happened again.

"I americium connected nan mend, I americium recovering. I'll beryllium good for nan commencement of nan season.

"There is simply a 90% occurrence rate, truthful I should not suffer now. My ticker should beryllium each bully and it won't abruptly footwear successful and spell mental."