Paul Mullin: I was struggling for breath. I thought it could be it for me

I was trying to breathe in but nothing was happening. I couldn’t get air into my lungs. That’s when I knew it was bad. In that struggle for breath, with my lips turning blue, I accepted that this could be it for me. That’s how it felt. I couldn’t breathe properly for a few minutes.

I was thinking about my little boy, Albi. I hate being away from him and my partner Molly for too long but I had told myself it was only two weeks and that I’d be back home soon. It ended up being much longer, but I’m so thankful it wasn’t worse.

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I remember, a few seconds earlier, getting my head to the ball and then going down. For someone like me who will do that kind of thing again and again, being winded is something I’m used to. It usually lasts around 10 seconds and is never nice. Only this time I couldn’t shake it.

After a collision with Manchester United goalkeeper Nathan Bishop during a friendly, in the aptly named Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, my lung punctured from the impact and I fractured four ribs.

Thanks to the amazing medical staff who got me through it on the pitch and at UC San Diego Health, the hospital I was taken to, I am now very much on the mend. I spent 13 hours on oxygen before being discharged. One of our physios, Ryan, was with me all night.

When the doctor said I wouldn’t be able to fly home until I was fit enough to travel, I filled up. At that moment, I didn’t care about when I was going to be back playing, I just wanted to get back to my little boy and my family.

My two best mates from high school, James Brady and Alex Walsh, had just walked into the room when I got that news. They were out here to watch me play and as soon as I was told I couldn’t fly back yet, they said they’d stay.

Rob,