Former Premier League star Jermaine Pennant has revealed he feared losing his leg after a dog attack left him needing 50 stitches.
The ex-Liverpool winger was walking his American Akita, King, when a German Shepherd suddenly attacked.
Pennant said he had stepped in to protect King after the other dog “had a go at him”, but was then attacked himself.
King eventually intervened, helping to protect his owner before Pennant was able to make his way to hospital for treatment.
The 43-year-old later shared photographs showing his shin bloodied and badly scarred following the incident.
“I was fearing for my leg. I knew it was bad, but I couldn’t see it because my trousers were stuck to it,” Pennant told talkSPORT.
Jermaine Pennant, 43, feared for his leg after a dog attack left him requiring 50 stitches
The former Liverpool winger was attacked by a German Shepherd while walking his American Akita, King
Images shared by the talkSPORT host showed deep wounds on his shin
“I just thought, ‘This isn’t good.’ My first thought was, ‘Is King okay?’ Then I thought, ‘I need to get to A&E as soon as possible.’”
“When I got to A&E, they gave me a tetanus jab straight away, along with all the necessary antibiotics.
“Tomorrow I have an appointment with a plastic surgeon because one of the wounds has a lot of skin missing. It’s like a crater, and you can’t stitch it because there’s no skin to pull together.
“They’re going to see whether it can heal on its own. If not, I’ll need a skin graft.
“Hopefully, there’s no lasting damage. I’ll have a scar, and if I need a skin graft, it will be there for the rest of my life. My tattoo is ruined.”
“I can walk, which is the good news, and there’s no pain.”
Pennant said he has since taken King on a couple of walks and thanked the dog for helping to protect him.
In an emotional Instagram post alongside a photograph of himself embracing King, Pennant wrote: “So, I was attacked by a German Shepherd. I tried to protect King, but the dog got my leg. I was on the floor with the dog still attached and showing no sign of letting go, until King intervened because he didn’t know what was going on.
Pennant later thanked his dog for “saving his life” in a heartfelt Instagram post
“The moment he did, he fought the dog off and prevented what could have been a horrendous situation for me.
“King was unhurt apart from a little nip on his leg, but he was covered in blood, none of which was mine. At that point, I forgot the agony I was in and my heart sank, but it wasn’t King’s blood.
“My hero was still protecting me and trying to look after me. King, you’re a legend. Love you, man’s best friend. Thanks for taking care of us both.”
Pennant said he does not intend to report the incident to police.
There were around 29,400 cases of out-of-control dog attacks last year, an 83 per cent increase from the 16,040 recorded in 2020.
Pennant retired from professional football at the age of 35 in 2018 after a 17-year career.
The former winger made 231 Premier League appearances during spells with Stoke, Liverpool, Birmingham City, Leeds United, Portsmouth and Arsenal.
