Former Tottenham and England defender
Gary Mabbutt needed a five-hour operation to save his left leg in 2013 after he suffered complications due to diabetes.
Speaking to The Sun, the 53-year-old said that he woke up at 1am one morning to find his leg had gone cold after his condition left him with a clogged artery.
He was rushed to King’s College Hospital in south east London where doctors acted immediately to save the limb – replacing the main artery in his leg with a vein.
It took 112 staples to seal the wound, leaving Mabbutt with a shocking 30-inch scar down his leg.
Mabbutt said: "When they talked about battling to save my leg, I realised I was helpless. As a diabetic you know complications can occur.
"But you think ‘It's never going to happen to me’. It is vital to educate everyone with diabetes how to take care of themselves."
Mabbutt was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when he was 17 and told that he would that it would be extremely hard for him to pursue his ambition of becoming a professional footballer.
Mabbutt managed to play more than 450 games for Tottenham, lifting the FA Cup in 1991, as well as winning 16 caps for England.
The operation in 2013 meant that Mabbutt could no longer kick a ball, however, ending his dream of becoming a manager.
He said: "I had just finished my licences to become a coach. I had management offers.
"But you need to be able to be out there on the training ground every day with the players. So, I have given up my ambition to coach or manage."
