Premier League starlet tipped for the highest noticed profession derailed after consuming dodgy meat

Former Manchester City ace John Guidetti saw his career derailed after a mystery virus from eating dodgy meat at his girlfriend’s birthday party

Former Manchester City starlet John Guidetti never hit the heights he promised in his teenage years.

The young Swede joined City as a 16-year-old and looked set for stardom after he scored 20 goals in 23 Eredivisie games on loan at Feyenoord in the 2011/12 season and was tipped to lead the line with Zlatan Ibrahimovic at Euro 2012.

However, Guidetti, who turned 33 on Tuesday, saw his career derailed when a problem with his central nervous system left him with paralysis of his right leg after he suffered food poisoning from eating chicken at his girlfriend’s birthday party.

Speaking in 2012 after signing a new deal with City, Guidetti opened up on his nightmare. He explained in an interview with the Mirror: “I ate a bit of chicken at my ­girlfriend’s birthday party, but it led to food poisoning. It got worse when the illness led to a rare virus which badly affected my nervous system.

“The day after playing a game for Feyenoord I couldn’t even stand on my right leg. I just fell to the ground. The physio told me to go and do a bit of easy cycling on the stationary bike, but I couldn’t even do that.

“I was taken to the University Hospital in Rotterdam and, when Man City’s club doctor, Philip Batty, turned up on my bedside I realised I was in serious danger.

“A professor in the hospital where I was being treated said my career was hanging by a very thin thread. I burst into tears. I saw my whole future crashing down. I wanted to win the Dutch title with Feyenoord, which was still possible at the time. I wanted to star for Sweden in the Euros.

“And most of all I wanted to break into the first team at Man City, which I would definitely have done if I had not picked up the virus.

“But I just had no power in my right leg. They sent me to a clinic in Italy and all I could do was an exercise to help me get out of a chair. More than that I just couldn’t do. One minute I was in heaven, the next in hell. I could not believe it.”

After six months of rest and intensive treatment to build up his strength, Guidetti return to City training, but the physical after-effects of his ordeal were obvious.

“Of course I knew that I had lost all power in my right leg, but what I didn’t notice was that my leg had become so thin. The boys at City shouted: ‘F*****g hell, John, just look at your leg!’,” he said.

“They could not believe their eyes. I go to the club every morning and don’t come home until the evening. When I walk in through my front door I am absolutely exhausted.”

Despite returning to training, Guidetti never played for City again despite signing a three-year deal upon his comeback. In 2014, he was loaned to Stoke City and later Celtic but never found form.

The Swede eventually left the Etihad as a free agent and joined Celta Vigo in 2015 where he played for three seasons. He later played for Alaves and Hannover before returning to his homeland.

Guidetti earned 29 caps for his country between 2012 and 2020.