Ryan McHugh revealed that he sustained a bleed on his brain earlier this year.
McHugh sustained two concussion injuries in 2018, one of which resulted in a bleed on the brain.
McHugh suffered one of the injuries playing for Donegal in the Allianz League and the other playing for his club, Kilcar, in a challenge game against St Vincent’s.
“I had one at the start of the league this year and I took about eight weeks off; I had a slight bleed in my brain,” McHugh said.
“It’s a strange injury because looking at somebody you don’t think there is anything wrong with them.
“It was tough. After the time you have slight headaches and you know there is something wrong with yourself. After a week and a half you start to come round to yourself
“It’s not like when you break a leg (and) you come back and try to build it up in the gym. It’s just rest really – all you can do, stay away from computers and that sort of stuff. That was what I was advised to do – difficult in this day and age.”
McHugh was under the care of the Donegal team doctor, Kevin Moran, both times.
Dr Moran is one of the sport’s leading experts on concussion.
McHugh added: “I know the first time I had it, I actually didn’t get the symptoms and stuff until about two weeks later. So it was strange, it actually happened at training one night, I just felt ill and dizzy and stuff. I went to Kevin and Kevin pulled me out straight away. If Kevin wasn’t there, I could have trained on. So definitely I think that the more education people have the better.”