Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk surprised Alex, a heart specialist, after he saved John Harkin’s life following a cardiac arrest during a Saturday league match

Emotional moment Virgil van Dijk meets Liverpool amateur footballer who saved opponent’s life

Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk surprised Alex, a heart specialist, after he saved John Harkin’s life following a cardiac arrest during a Saturday league match

Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk surprised an amateur footballer after he kept alive an opponent, whose heart stopped for 28 minutes.

John Harkin collapsed while playing for Old Xaverians FC against Larkin FC in Childwall, in March this year. The 35-year-old suffered a cardiac arrest in their Liverpool Old Boys League encounter but the intervention of Alex, a heart specialist but also John’s opponent that day, revived him with the help of a defibrillator at the side of the pitch.

John, an English teacher at Maricourt Highschool in Maghull, spent a week in intensive care and almost died in hospital wrote to Liverpool Football Club and Nivea to show his appreciation for Alex’s actions.

In a video published by the club, Alex was surprised by the Liverpool captain at the Aintree University Hospital and made the trip to the AXA Training Centre where they received a tour from Van Dijk – meeting the likes of Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott.

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Describing the events of March 18, Alex recalled: “It was scary really. I just heard shouting behind, I thought someone was having an argument or something behind me.

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“I turned around and seen John on the floor and someone brought a defib around. I’d been doing CPR for a while and I remember shocking him twice, but it felt like a lifetime.

“I remember stepping out, then all of a sudden just burst out crying. I just felt terribly powerless because if it happens in a hospital you’ve got all sorts of machines and drugs and stuff you can do. But there [on the day], you’re just on your own with, luckily, a defibrillator.”

Both John and Alex have been invited to Anfield during the festive period. As well as this, NIVEA Men and Liverpool pledged to make a donation to The Oliver King Foundation to ensure more defibrillators are accessible. In the video, the Dutchman added: “I will also make a donation,” to the foundation.