3 Football Superstars who overcame serious medical conditions as a child

Football is not just a game, it is an emotion. Football is made up of agonies and ecstasies - it is 90 minutes of pure elation that stays with us long after the game is over. The powers of the beautiful game cannot be defined in words. It unites enemies, divides families and makes the impossible possible. Most of all, the game never ceases to inspire.

Through its journey of ups and downs, football teaches us many different lessons in life and perhaps the greatest lesson is learnt in the relentless pursuit of victory - never give up.

While football inspires, footballers, take up the mantle of real-life heroes. Today, we take a look at 3 such real-life superheroes in football, who overcame serious health conditions as a child and went on to become household names.

#3 Tim Howard - Tourette's Syndrome and OCD

Costa Rica v United States - FIFA 2018 World Cup Qualifier

The American is a well-known face in the world of football. He played for Manchester United in the 2003/04 and 2004/05 season, winning one FA Cup, one League Cup and one Community Shield. He then joined Premier League side Everton, where he spent 10 seasons, before rejoining MLS with Colorado Rapids in 2006. He is currently the goalkeeper as well as the Skipper of his club. Howard has had a hugely fruitful career both in club football as well as with his country. However, he had a very tough childhood.

He had enrolled in soccer school when he was six and that was where he discovered his desire to run and his love for the game. However, life became a lot harder all of a sudden, as Howard was diagnosed with Tourette's Syndrome and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

The symptoms had first appeared when he was 10 years old and the hics started when he had turned 11. He had trouble concentrating as his brain was diverted due to OCD and the tics; he also had a problem adjusting with the environment around him and his symptoms were often brushed aside as bad behaviour at school.

For little Tim Howard, it was like the world had crumbled over his head. Sadly, there was no reliable treatment to the disease.

When every hope failed, his passion for the beautiful game came to his rescue. Howard realized that while he was in goal and the opposition came running towards him, all his troubles left his body. He felt a strange responsibility to keep the ball out of his net and his concentration was so high that all the symptoms were wiped out. With time, Howard learned to relay those 90 minutes of concentration into his life and eventually became the champion of life.

#2 Cristiano Ronaldo - Racing Heart

Before he became one of the best players in the world, Cristiano Ronaldo had to win a battle to continue playing football. The Portuguese was just 15 years old and a part of the Sporting Academy, when it was noticed that his heart beating was irregular.

Ronaldo's heart started beating a lot even when he wasn't running, which was not natural. It meant that his career was at stake even before it had started. The condition was not uncommon and many footballers had previously suffered from heart problems.

Doctors confirmed what was previously suspected - young Cristiano had a condition called the racing heart, also known as Tachycardia or Tachyarrhythmia. In individuals who have this problem, the resting heart has over 100 beats per minute and they have a high risk of heart-related complications. For athletes, it can cause a heart attack or collapse. Thankfully for Ronaldo and also for the world, his condition was treatable. Doctors analyzed his situation and decided that the only cure would be a small operation.

Ronaldo was subsequently operated on, using laser technology. While there were initial concerns whether he could return to football after the operation, the Portuguese recovered well and was back to training within a few days. That fact that he would go on to become such a Champion and an incredible athlete, shows that nothing is impossible in this world.

#1 Lionel Messi - Growth Hormone Deficiency

There's not a single football fan in this planet who has not heard of Lionel Messi. However, the Argentinean might not have become the best player in the world had he not overcome a serious adversary as a child.

Messi was just 10 years old when he was diagnosed with Growth Hormone Deficiency. This meant that his body was producing insufficient growth hormones, which was affecting his growth and overall development. He had lower pituitary function, various internal problems, poor vision and lower immunity among others.

The treatment was costly, too costly for his middle-class family to bear. Even though he was widely acknowledged to be the best young talent to have emerged from Argentina for a while, his club did not have the financial abilities to handle the costs of treatment. His father could only manage a couple of year's treatment with the help of medical insurance, but after that, it looked like Lionel Messi's incredible talent was about to go waste.

In stepped Barcelona. With the help of that infamous tissue paper and a promise of financing his treatment, Messi started his journey at Nou Camp. He finished his treatment by the age of 14 and became a part of the "Baby Dream Team", the greatest ever youth team produced by La Masia.

Lionel Messi has since spoken about his treatment, how he had needles stuck to his legs every night for three years. It is an incredible ode to his character and spirit, that has taken Lionel Messi from almost giving up football as a child to becoming the best player in the world.

Edited by Sripad