Alan Brazil reveals he's had a liver transplant - and his heart stopped beating on the operating table - after years of all-day drinking sessions

By BOBBY MANZI, FOOTBALL REPORTER Published: 09:21, 4 June 2026 | Updated: 09:57, 4 June 2026 TalkSPORT legend Alan Brazil has revealed his life-saving surgery was a liver transplant and that his heart stopped on the operating table. The 66-year-old has been off-air from presenting his regular Breakfast Show slot for three months, but returned for a short while on Thursday morning to give his listeners an update on his health. Brazil initially announced his surgery, posting a video on Instagram, but did not get bogged down in the details. However, he was more open with his friends Gabby Agbonlohor and Ally McCoist on Thursday’s breakfast show. Brazil appeared from home, with his face slimmed from the surgery. The former Manchester United forward disclosed that he was on the operating table for several hours and admitted that his heart stopped before restarting itself. Alan Brazil spoke about how his heart stopped on the operating table during surgery  Brazil is pictured with the late Eddie Jordan at a previous Cheltenham Festival  He explained: 'The problem is that at night I can't sleep. I don't want to go too much into it, but I've still got a problem with fluids. On the Wednesday morning I worked on talkSPORT, I'd been having ongoing trials, so many specialists, I decided I needed a transplant. I didn't want to do it but my kids and Jill [wife] said you've got to do it, you have to do it, you are doing it. 'Amazingly on the Wednesday I was doing radio, I'd gone through loads of appointments, loads of serious questions and questions that you wouldn't talk to anyone but your family about. Anyway, they decided, "we'll have a go at this or else you're in trouble." 'On the Wednesday, I finished at quarter to 10, I got a shout at 10, you've got to phone Addenbrooke's Hospital, I did at 10, they said "they've got something for you, get here right now."  'I jumped in a cab, went down to Cambridge, and at 2.30 that afternoon I was on the slab. Bang, they opened me up and performed [surgery] for something like eight hours. They transplanted my liver. I had a tiny liver by all accounts and they transplanted it. My heart did stop for a bit, it came back on its own. 'I'll be very frank, I'm very, very lucky. Doctor Gibbs was magnificent. He explained as they were wheeling me into the theatre the dangers and what could happen and that I might not come out of this. But he said, "you're strong, you'll be alright." I swear I thought my days were numbered, honestly. He continued: 'But anyway, this guy has been a legend. I had more than four weeks [in total]. I had a week in intensive care then they moved me to the ward. The staff, there's one nurse to 13 beds, that's how bad it is, I was having tests, I was in a cupboard, there was nowhere to put me. The aisles were full of beds and machines. They stuck me near a printer and all that and said 'deal with that for 20 minutes'. 'I've got the staff at Addenbrooke to thank. I had another four weeks in there, got myself out. I feel really good but I can't sleep and I have a problem with fluid. The fluid keeps coming back. They're not worried but saying, "look, it's early days, it's five-and-a-half weeks since we opened you up. We'll get to the bottom of it." 'I'm taking loads of meds and appointments at Ipswich and Cambridge Hospitals. I've just got to be a good boy, rest up, and go and see these people. Hopefully I'll get back to 100 per cent. From where I was before, the last five or six years, I never realised how bad I was. I feel totally different now. I'm incredibly lucky.' A healthy-looking Alan Brazil gave his first update on social media but has now offered more details ​​'I'm still here! Gradually every day improving,’ Brazil went on. ‘I'm looking forward to getting back. It's going to be a few more weeks, hopefully two or three and then I'm getting back. There's going to be loads of sport on, which is really getting me going. 'It's been a funny few months, it really has, but there's a lot of rubbish going on at the moment [elsewhere], there's heartbreak and Kenny [Dalglish], Kevin Keegan, John Barnes, every day you read something different. It's our age I'm afraid. I cocked it and thank God, luckily, the guys at Addenbrooke's Hospital saved my life. 'I'm on the mend I'm still not there, getting there guys. Gabby [Agbonlahor] is still talking tosh so I can still do this. Gabby, lovely to see you mate, and Ally [McCoist], I'm excited to get back to you with Celtic, Rangers, and Hearts. 'So much sport has been going on and it's really kept me going to be honest. It's been magic and there's still loads to come with the World Cup, so bingo! I'm alive and kicking, and I'm looking forward to it.' His update comes two months after he was forced to miss presenting for talkSPORT during the final two days at Cheltenham Festival. He had previously had a spell off air in January due to illness too. Brazil has presented the Breakfast show since the radio station launched in 2000, cutting back his hours in 2020.  He went on to add that he 'intends to enjoy life and crack on again', adding: 'I realise how lucky I am, how fortunate I am. My life has been brilliant from football to media to broadcast to talkSPORT, I'm very lucky, I've had to work hard, get up in the middle of the night, but I'm all for that again. When you're that close to saying goodbye, and it suddenly hits you, you think "oh my God," you don't realise, it suddenly hits you. I'm still enjoying myself in different ways. 'I'll take every day as it comes, my kids, my grandkids, the wife, she's been brilliant, I've been reading so much, watching and listening to so many thing. Look at poor Kenny, Kevin Keegan, John Barnes, Bobby Tambling has gone, so as I said in one of my books, we're only here for a visit, and I intend to enjoy it and crack on again. Brazil, pictured holding a red wine next to Dean Saunders, said his liver was 'small' 'I've had messages and calls from people I haven't spoken to in tens of years, from the old days, and it's unbelievable, it's so nice that people still remember you. It's helped me along the way. It's lovely. You'll get the odd one having a go, they're entitled to their opinion, good luck if they don't like me. But the vast majority of texts and calls have been wonderful from all over. I'm a lucky guy.'   Five years ago he was forced to take a break while he had a heart operation and said before his return: 'I had a little problem, whether it was Covid related or, I don't know, fast living catching up with me, but I ended up in a couple of hospitals. I had a little sort out in the old ticker but I'm pleased to say I'm on the mend.' The former forward started his football career at Ipswich Town in 1976 and later had spells at Tottenham and Man United in the 1980s.  He won 13 caps for Scotland - representing them at the 1982 World Cup in Spain - but struggled with back issues towards the end of his career.  The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. 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