Hibs ace Scott Allan feared he wouldn't play again as he opens up on heart condition

The 29-year-old missed a large chunk of this season with an unknown issue which led to plenty of unhelpful speculation regarding the player’s future.

But in an interview with HibsTV, Allan opened up on what he has been going through these past few months,

The player was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. It is a condition which makes it difficult for blood to pump in and out of the heart with the walls of the heart chamber becoming slightly thicker.

It causes fatigue and dizzy spells with less oxygen throughout the body.

Understandably, the condition left Allan with fearing for his future as a first-team Hibs star.

‘Really worrying’

"I’m feeling well within myself to speak about what I went through," he said.

Scott Allan has opened up about being diagnosed with a heart condition. Picture: SNS

“I really feared I wouldn’t play again. The way I had been feeling up until I had that test in terms of physically and what I could give on a football pitch at that time, it was really worrying.

“I think when you have already lived your life with type-1 diabetes from such an early age it was always a thing in the back of my head that I thought if anything was going to cause me problems it was that.

"So to be diagnosed with something else while still in your prime, a season I was really looking forward to, stamp my authority on the football park after a consistent year for myself, it was on the human side a really, really difficult time in terms of telling your family and people around you.

"But when you've got these types of people close to you it really spurs you on.”

Allan returned to action against St Johnstone in the Betfred Cup semi-final. Picture: SNS

Real motivation

Allan made a welcome return to action in the Betfred Cup semi-final defeat to St Johnstone and has also featured off the bench in the league against Rangers.

He has been on the bench for the last three fixtures.

Having missed more than 25 games this campaign, the player’s aim has always been to get back on to the pitch, to enjoy football and for his son to watch him in action.

Allan is looking to build his football fitness up gradually but is feeling in great shape.

“I've got a young son and for me I’ve always wanted him to want to come to games and watch me play football," he said.

"That was a hard part so that was a real motivation for me to get back on the park.

“Having that and diabetes, I knew it was going to be a challenge.”

He added: “Definitely not 100 per cent (fit) because I’ve been unable to get a bounce game but in terms of training fitness and general fitness outside of football it is the best I’ve felt.

"I won't be 100 per cent until I’ve had games under my belt. Hopefully that comes soon, if not I’ll get a pre-season under my belt and I’ll go from there.”