Barnsley striker Iain Hume feared he might die after being hospitalised by an elbow from Sheffield United defender Chris Morgan.
Hume needed emergency surgery for a fractured skull and internal bleeding after Morgan caught the Canada international with a sickening blow during his Championship club's 2-1 defeat at Oakwell on November 8.
Morgan was only booked for the foul and Hume is furious that referee Andy D'Urso failed to protect him even though he warned the official that Morgan had caught him with his elbow in previous matches.
“I feel very angry about what happened to me. I feel very, very upset because what I went through was potentially a life-threatening experience,” Hume told the Sunday Times.
“I had pleaded with the referee to give me some protection. I could have died.
“Last Saturday night the signs were that I was suffering from concussion. It was only through the passage of time that I deteriorated.
“Subsequently a brain scan revealed the injuries were dangerous and I became an emergency. Then my immediate thoughts were about my family and what effect this would have on them.
Hume is considering whether to take legal action against Morgan, while Barnsley are set to submit video evidence to the English Football Association to get a heavy punishment for the defender.
The 25-year-old, whose family have flown over from Canada to be with him, will be in hospital for some time and has resigned himself to missing a significant part of the season.
“Having thoughts like that is an horrific experience. All I want to do is get home to my family and start having a normal life,” he added.
“Then I can begin to think about playing again. I can only set short-term goals. I'm not ready to look too far into the future. There are issues that require to be addressed.”
