Gary Mabbutt: a rat ate my foot while I was asleep

Former Tottenham defender Gary Mabbutt had to fly back from a holiday in South Africa after waking up with a rat eating part of his foot.

Mabbutt, 57, has type 1 diabetes and lacks feeling in his feet.

He was forced to fly back to the UK and spend a week in hospital during the trip to the Kruger National Park, where his daughter is working.

He continues to visit the hospital daily for treatment to clear up the problem.

“I’ve gone to sleep and during the night a rat has come into the bedroom, climbed into the bed and has decided to chew on my foot,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live.

‘A big hole in my toe’

“It’s made quite a big hole in my toe, going down to the bone, and ate underneath my foot.

“It bit my daughter’s thumb first in the other bedroom, and then she came into me and said ‘Dad, something’s bitten me’. Being in Africa, you think of snakes and scorpions.”

An hour later he discovered his foot was bloodied after feeling a bite on his thumb.

“Unfortunately the rat had had a nice meal and I hadn’t been able to feel it,” he said.

Successful career

Mabbutt, who played for England 16 times, is no longer able to kick a ball due to his condition. He has to inject insulin seven times a day.

He is not the only diabetic to have had a successful career in sport despite having to carefully manage their condition. Real Madrid’s Nacho also has type 1 diabetes, as does England and Exeter rugby player Henry Slade.

“All the opponents that I’ve played against and I finally get taken out by a rat,” Mabbutt said.