Robbie Horgan shares near-death sepsis experience to raise awareness

Former League of Ireland goalkeeper and manager Robbie Horgan has shared his experience surviving a near-fatal battle with sepsis to raise awareness about the condition's warning signs.

Horgan, who played for Shamrock Rovers and managed Drogheda Town and Drogheda United, recounted how he initially dismissed his symptoms as routine flu. Despite being prescribed antibiotics and inhalers by a healthcare provider, his condition deteriorated significantly while awaiting chest X-ray results. He described a physical collapse where it took him 30 minutes to descend a single stair.

Horgan credited his wife and pregnant daughter for their persistence in insisting he seek emergency medical care. After being rushed to the hospital, he was diagnosed with double pneumonia, influenza A, and sepsis, eventually requiring intensive care and an induced coma. He noted that one of the most critical symptoms he later identified was a profound sensation of “feeling like dying.”