FORMER Premier League star Neil ‘Razor’ Ruddock has shown off his incredible 11-stone weight transformation.
The 56-year-old began his weight loss journey back in 2021 after meeting TV personality James Argent.
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Ruddock had ballooned to 27st during the Coronavirus pandemic, which put his health at serious risk.
But after meeting Argent – who experienced his own 14st weight loss journey in recent years – he decided to get a gastric sleeve fitted.
The former Liverpool star now eats much less and has reduced his alcohol intake.
In a recent interview, Ruddock opened up about why he started excessively eating and drinking in the first place.
On his 28th birthday, the day before 1996 FA Cup final between Liverpool and Manchester United, the ex-defender found out that manager Roy Evans had dropped him from the squad.
His dad had purchased 50 tickets so that friends and family could watch him at Wembley.
So the realisation that he would not play made Ruddock feel like he had let his nearest and dearest down.
He told The Times: “The greatest thing I’ve ever done in life is making my dad proud of me.
“Roy just said it was the toughest decision he had to make. It was the toughest decision he’s ever had in management.
“You know, I love the man to death, but it wasn’t . . . at the end of the day, I can’t blame him.
“He’s had to make a decision. But I just couldn’t handle it.
“I remember ringing my dad in tears. My dad’s in tears as well. I still might want to cry. I want to cry now. My dad’s no longer here any more.”
On the day of the final, Ruddock sat in the dressing room and began drinking cans of beer while his team-mates battled it out for the FA Cup.
In his new book, Toxic, he explained: “All of a sudden, sport, the thing you have relied on all your life to deliver the good times, is doing exactly the opposite.
“The Cup final was the start of a spiral which never ended. The start of mad, bad, sad, glad syndrome.
“Until that day I had never ever doubted myself. Never. Not once. Now it was all I did. Anxiety bubbled underneath. I was gone — a volcano waiting to erupt.”
Ruddock made 195 Premier League appearances during his career and played for the likes of Liverpool, West Ham, Tottenham, Southampton and Crystal Palace.
