Angel Gomes, a former player of Manchester United, received message of support from the team after he fell unconscious during a terrifying incident on Saturday while competing for Lille.
The 23-year-old played at Reims on the first day of the Ligue 1 season. He joined Lille after leaving Manchester United in 2020.
Gomes won a header early in the game, but Reims’ Amadou Kone whacked him hard and late while he was still in the air.
Kone received a straight red card, but everyone in the crowd was more worried about Gomes, who was lying on the field unconscious.
The game was paused for 34 minutes as the England Under-21 international received the treatment he needed before being stretchered off the field.
Lille confirmed on X while the game was still ongoing: ‘Angel Gomes has regained consciousness and has been transferred to hospital. All our thoughts are with him.’
Manchester United, the club at which Gomes grew up, posted: ‘Sending love and strength to @AGomes_47, who has been taken to hospital following a collision while playing for Lille. We’re thinking of you, Angel.’
Sending love and strength to @AGomes_47, who has been taken to hospital following a collision while playing for Lille.
We’re thinking of you, Angel ❤️ https://t.co/zCw4394wSp
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) August 17, 2024
Lille went on to win the match 2-0 thanks to goals from Bafode Diakite and Jonathan David, with Diakite holding up a Gomes shirt while celebrating his opening goal.
Lille coach Bruno Genesio said it was a ‘very, very scary’ moment but the news since has been reassuring and he has spoken to Gomes.
‘It was very hard. From the shock, I understood that it was serious,’ said the Lille boss. ‘These are things that we should not see on a field. There are mistakes that can be excused. This one for me is not. We were very, very scared. The latest news is rather reassuring, but it is better to be careful. Angel asked if he was going to play on Saturday, it is a good sign if he has a sense of humor. For me the match was secondary tonight.
‘Why did I seem annoyed at the time? I wanted things to go much faster in the care. We knew it was serious. We knew it right away. I was angry, because it’s hard to see one of your players on the ground. We spend a lot of time together, we’re a family and to see one of your players being attacked, because it’s an attack, it’s very difficult to live through, it was emotionally very hard to live through for the players and the staff. Some were on the verge of tears. Well done for managing to do the job, because it’s never easy and a big thought for Angel, we’re happy to have some reassuring first news.
‘Angel was conscious when he was evacuated. I know he talked, he asked about the results, he was humorous, but I think we have to wait a little. He is in the hospital. The most important thing is that he recovers peacefully from all this. Honestly, I was very, very scared, I don’t want to see the images again.’