A Swindon Town legend has urged men across the country to check their blood pressure.

Glenn Hoddle made 73 appearances for the Robins and has now teamed up on a campaign after suffering a cardiac arrest six years ago.

The former England and Tottenham Hotspur manager said every second is “precious” now for him after the life-threatening incident.

“I was gone, and if it wasn’t for CPR, I wouldn’t be sitting here today, to be quite honest,” said Hoddle.

“I owe my life to somebody who did CPR, and then I had the quadruple bypass.”

Swindon Advertiser: Glenn Hoddle led Swindon Town to their one and only Premier League season.Glenn Hoddle led Swindon Town to their one and only Premier League season.

The 66-year-old collapsed while filming for BT Sport in 2018 on his 61st birthday leading to a colleague performing life-saving CPR until help arrived.

“Life is very precious, and I found that out in a very, very dramatic way,” said Hoddle.

"Life has always been precious, but even more so now.

“I feel as if in football terminology, I call it my extra time, I’m playing extra time at the moment and long may that continue, I just hope it doesn’t go to penalties!”

The pundit has now joined up with Well Pharmacy on their new Blood Pressure United campaign to encourage football fans to check their blood pressure.

Swindon Advertiser: Hoddle in action for Swindon Town at Wembley in 1993.Hoddle in action for Swindon Town at Wembley in 1993.

Middle-aged men are among the most likely group to have untreated high blood pressure according to NHS England data.

It is often dubbed a ‘silent killer’ due to people being unaware they’re affected and this can lead to major health problems further down the line.

“It can creep up on you if you don’t keep ahead of it. It’s about prevention really,” said Hoddle.

“Since I had my cardiac arrest, I’ve got [a blood pressure monitor] at home that we look at every couple of weeks.

“But unless you’re going to a doctor, or you have to go to A&E or into hospital, you never really have it done, do you?

“Blood pressure is a warning sign, whether it’s too high or too low, it’s a warning sign that can prevent so much.

Swindon Advertiser: Hoddle was a scorer against Leicester City at Wembley.Hoddle was a scorer against Leicester City at Wembley. (Image: Newsquest archive)

“And there’s nothing to be scared of, there’s no blood being taken, it’s just a blood pressure reading that can be done in a minute.”

The campaign will see a bus visiting football grounds across the UK offering fans free blood pressure checks.

Speaking ahead of the launch, Hoddle added: “The bus will be going out to football fans and particularly males who often look after their cars better than they look after their bodies!

“They’ll be MOT-ing their cars before their bodies.”

Hoddle, who scored three goals for Town, is keen to reassure other men that it is better to know sooner rather than later so it can be managed.

Swindon Advertiser: Hoddle is now a pundit following his playing and managerial career.Hoddle is now a pundit following his playing and managerial career. (Image: Newsquest)

“If everything is absolutely tickety-boo, then fine, they can go on with confidence and if [it is high], then you look at your diet, you look at your habits, what you’re eating, drinking.

“If there is a little pill that you have to take, that’s going to regulate it – it’s about regulation and getting it functioning correctly.

“There’s a lot you can find out quickly from having your blood pressure done, and it’s nothing to be scared about.

“You want to be forewarned, you want to nip it in the bud if there is a problem in your body, as soon as you can.

“But at the moment, everything is tickety-boo, thankfully.

“Only when Tottenham play does [my blood pressure] go up too high!”