A TOP England football star has been forced to remain in isolation at a hotel in Ayia Napa after coming down with the H1N1 virus.
Micah Richards, 21, had been on a short break with friends when he contracted the bug, which has infected over a dozen people in the resort.
However, Richard’s publicist Max Clifford told the Sunday Mail last night that he believed the star had probably caught the flu before arriving in Cyprus.
“I think that he must have picked up the virus while playing in Sweden in the international under-21s tournament, because the flu takes 5-7 days to show itself, so by the time he got to Cyprus it had started and he was feeling pretty rotten at the start of last week”, he said.
Ayia Napa is a popular summer destination for British sports stars and Richards is thought to be the first English professional footballer to have caught the virus.
The Manchester City defender checked into a Paralimni clinic last week and is now taking Tamiflu medication, but has been told not to fly home until he has a clean bill of health.
“When I was told I had [the H1N1 virus] all sorts of things started going through my mind. You see on the news people dying of it,” he said.
Richards, who was due to fly home on Wednesday hopes to be able to return to Britain tonight.
Max Clifford praised the care Richards had received in Cyprus and said the star was over the worst effects of the virus.
“He went to a doctor, then to the hospital and has a course of Tamiflu, after a rough week he is almost back to normal. The Cypriot medical staff has been marvelous, they really looked after him at the hospital,” he added.
Richards made light of his condition, telling The Sun that he will be the butt of jokes on his return to the UK.
“My club has been very understanding. I’ll get some stick from the lads when I do return – they will probably all turn up to training in surgical masks. If I can get it, anyone can.”
Richards initially thought he was suffering from a bad chest infection or alcohol poisoning but then complained that he felt so weak that he couldn’t move or eat.
Richards took the football world by storm since his debut for Manchester City in 2005, with critics around the world hailing the versatile youngster’s revolutionary style due in part to his athleticism.
Meanwhile, authorities have said that regular surveillance of incoming tourists at the main airports was ongoing and hospital staff at private and state clinics are all taking necessary protection measures.
