Ex-Burnley and Middlesbrough star Jelle Vossen reveals he cheated death after catching a ‘terrifying’ flesh-eating bug

Ex-Championships star Jelle Vossen has revealed he cheated death… after catching a flesh-eating bug.

The Belgium international was on loan at Middlesbrough in the 2014/15 season and scored nine goals in 40 games.

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Genk striker Vossen then moved to Burnley but left for Club Brugge within two months.

The 33-year-old, who now plays for Belgian club Zulte Waregem, is happy to be alive after being crushed by the horrific complaint.

He recalled: “I spent five days in the hospital after a flesh-eating bacterium was found in my blood.

“Believe me, I really suffered. I later found out that every fifth person who has this problem dies from it.

“I was coughing up blood clots and had trouble breathing. My wife and youngest daughter could only watch with open mouths.

“If I had waited longer to go to the emergency room, I don’t know what would have happened to me.

“It felt weird for my two daughters to see me lying in a hospital bed.

“I had to come a long way to celebrate my comeback as a player.

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“Doctors advised me not to Google anything about the disease, but I did it anyway — and I was terrified.

“I had a lucky escape because I was diagnosed early. It puts playing football into perspective.

“I had to build up physically again because I lost a lot of muscle mass.”

Vossen has won 12 caps for Belgium and spent 15 years at Genk before joining Boro in 2014.