“It was just a matter of going to the hospital, hoping and praying everything was going to be all right.”

The horror of what happened that day is still largely a blur to David Clarkson. The passing of time doing little to shine clarity on one of the darkest moments Scottish sport has ever witnessed, never mind through the eyes of a loving nephew. A nephew who could barely bring himself to watch as his uncle slipped away in front of him in the most tragic of circumstances.

Tomorrow marks the nine-year anniversary of the passing of Phil O’Donnell, the much-loved Motherwell captain who collapsed due to heart failure on the Fir Park pitch 78 minutes into a game with Dundee United in front of thousands including team-mates, loved ones and fans. Each and every one of them sharing the same emotions of panic and helplessness as medical staff rushed the park to help the father of four who was just seconds away from being substituted.

The 35-year-old was swiftly taken to Wishaw General Hospital nearby, only for his young family member and team-mate to frantically follow behind in a state of fear and hope, desperate not to hear the news that would inevitably change his life and those of so many around him forever.

Glasgow Times: 29/12/07 CLYDESDALE BANK PREMIER LEAGUE
MOTHERWELL v DUNDEE UTD (4-3)
FIR PARK - MOTHERWELL
David Clarkson is consoled (right) as his uncle Phil O'Donnell (hidden) lies injured

“I was only 22 at the time. I don’t know how I got through it,” said Clarkson, in a rare and exclusive interview about the harrowing events of that day in 2007. “People ask you questions but it was a whirlwind really. The same with it being over Christmas and New Year. You just get through it because of your family, and again because of Motherwell.

“It was amazing how well they dealt with it and the support I got and that they gave the family. The players as well because there were a lot of people affected by it. A lot of people remember that day.

“The family have spoken about it and we remember the good times as well. But we do remember it, every year it comes up and back then it was hard for everybody. All we could do is make sure everybody was all right.”

The matter of asking him to delve into his own personal recollections of what happened that day is a tough task for any journalist. However, it isn’t a patch on what the man himself no doubt went through as he relived December 29, 2007 all over again. Sitting alone in the St Mirren training ground canteen, a cluster of young academy players respectfully waiting for their lunch on the other side of the door, the man who now fills a black and white jersey opened his heart up on the most sensitive of subjects.

Glasgow Times: 15/01/04
MOTHERWELL TRAINING
DALZIEL PARK - CARFIN
Motherwell hitman David Clarkson (left) gets a pat shoulder from his uncle, Phil O'Donnell

“I can remember when it happened," he said tentatively and calmly. "Like everyone else you are just playing your game then all of a sudden you see him going down. At that point you start to think ‘what’s going on?’

"I was next to him really so I saw him go down. You then see the players coming over and you wonder what’s happened. I think it was me and Jim Patterson had to come away from it because we realised something wasn’t right.

“I ended up coming off but I couldn’t have carried on anyway. I’ve no idea how long I stayed on for, I couldn’t tell you. It seemed like only two or three minutes [it was seven minutes].

“So I was taken off, maybe that was a sign that there was word that things were worse than what they first thought, or they could just see I was in no fit state to carry on anyway. I have no idea what was going through my head, apart from that there was something not right.

“I got changed. Don’t ask me why, my mind is a blank. I really don’t know where my head was, but the game was still going on so I was away before anyone came back in. I’ve no idea what the players were thinking or if anyone knew what was going on either.

“I got my wife who was down waiting on us and we went straight to the hospital. We got there and we were just all hoping everything was going to be all right. My head was spinning.”

Clarkson was right. As Motherwell went on to play out a 5-3 win - a game the striker got two in himself – those the 22-year-old left behind as he hastily sped off were unaware of the trauma that was imminently coming. However, none of the 5,227 inside Fir Park had any doubt over the severity of the situation concerning the well being of the man fondly known as ‘Uncle Phil’ who only minutes earlier had laid in front of them.

Trust me.

Within a matter of hours the news was broken to shatter the lives of so many, none more so than Phil’s world of wife Eileen and their four children Megan, Olivia, Christopher and Luc.

As the O’Donnell and Clarkson families mourned, the world of football united in grief to support them. Games were quickly cancelled in Scotland, tributes were held throughout the UK and the steps of the Fir Park main stand were transformed into a shrine to the club captain with thousands of scarves, shirts, cards and flags. A stand that now bears his name.

Glasgow Times: Motherwell have renamed the main stand at Fir Park after the late Phil O'Donnell, who tragically died while playing for the club last term

Ultimately one of the most moving moments came three weeks later in Motherwell’s first game following that fateful day, in a Scottish Cup tie against Tynecastle. Around 4,000 fans followed the Lanarkshire side to Edinburgh, not to watch a football match (Motherwell came back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2) but in support of Phil’s family. Namely, his young nephew still struggling to cope with his loss.

“It’s one of the games that always sticks with me, really,” said Clarkson. “I probably shouldn’t have played. I wanted to and Mark McGhee threw me in even though I wasn’t probably in the right mind to do it, but like everything else you are desperate to play.

“I remember the reception the fans gave us and me, it was just a great show of support. I got very emotional at the time. I remember after the game, seeing the fans and one of the boys pushed me forward as if ‘this is for you’.

“Seeing all the tributes outside Fir Park was incredible. It went from being a normal front door to flowers and cards everywhere. For people to come and show their respects and demonstrate how they felt about him was touching for the family to realise it.”

Glasgow Times: David Clarkson turns away as Motherwell captain and his uncle Phil O'Donnell is taken from the field

As with everything, life moves on, but Phil’s family and the football fraternity will always refuse to forget what was so tragically lost. Motherwell have since retired his No.10 shirt after Clarkson inherited it the following season, while everyone who held Phil close to their hearts will forever be grateful for the time spent with their son, father, husband, brother, uncle and, without question, hero.

“As time goes by there are always memories there, I’m always thinking of him,” said Clarkson, a tear not far away from the eye of either of us as our conversation comes to a close.

“To think its nine years, it’s a long time. This year will be hard as it always is and we’ll all think of him as we do a lot anyway. We’ll keep him in our thoughts.

“These are the things we speak about. The good times and the memories and it’s great we have them. Things like the cup final [Clarkson was just a five-year-old spectator when his uncle helped Motherwell dramatically win the Scottish Cup against United in 1991] and even the chance to play together, that was always the laugh and the joke growing up that we’d play together one time so to get that experience for me is great.

“To look up to him as a kid as he won trophies and did well at Motherwell, Celtic and down south was always something to look up to.

“You remember the days you had together whether it’s with a football and the family or doing other things with him. We have a big family and there’s support there. We always make sure everyone is alright and we concentrate on the good things.”

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Founded in 2012, charity Heartbeat of Sport was created to raise awareness of cardiac arrest in sport, fundraise to help sporting organisations buy special equipment, campaign for regular screening of all professional and semi-professional sport stars and offer heart screening tests across different sports.

Speaking about their work, chairman Tony Tonks said: "Sport is an area in which being 'fit and healthy' is paramount so heart conditions and illness is rarely associated.

“In most instances, this is the case but as with Phil O'Donnell and many others like him, physical activity is the trigger of something underlying that is unfortunately only discovered when it's too late.

“We don't wish to scare monger, only to educate people to know the difference between a heart attack and a cardiac arrest, as well as the different ways in which they are treated. We aim to help sporting environments, particularly at the amateur level where many children take part, obtain a defibrillator and first aid training at a hugely reduced cost.

“With every tragedy, there is a lesson to be learnt and a way in which we and the sporting community can try and move forward, not only to help the future generations of players, but each time we deliver a heart screening or help an environment obtain a defibrillator and first aid training, we do it in their name.

“When people receive a screening or training, they tell their story and explain why is was offered, this keeps their memory alive and attempts to cut down the number of lives lost each week to cardiac arrest."

For more information visit www.heartbeatofsport.org