Former Premier League striker says he 'almost died twice' after severe allergic reactions
A former Premier League striker has opened up about being close to death after TWO terrifying allergic reactions.
Deniz Undav scored five goals in 22 appearances in the Premier League after joining Brighton from Union SG in January 2022.
He's achieved huge success since returning to Germany, having been a revelation for Stuttgart in the Bundesliga.
But in a new interview, the 30-year-old has revealed he almost died on two occasions.
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Undav spent a day with YouTube channel 'HSTRYSTORIES' and took the two vloggers out for food. During the segment, he revealed a serious seafood allergy which he lives with.
The allergy prevents him from eating shrimp and causes severe swelling and difficulty breathing - something which happened twice.
Asked if he has sushi, Undav said: “Yes, but only with salmon or vegetarian. Because I can’t eat shrimp.
"I’ve had an allergic reaction twice; I almost died both times.”
He added: “Everything swells up, and I can’t breathe. I’d never even heard of that before.”
Undav then touched on what he looks to do in his spare time away from the pitch, explaining that he likes to go out for food in Stuttgart with his wife Tanja.
He continued: "When we play internationally, we usually train in the afternoon.
“Then, between ten and twelve o’clock, I go to Stuttgart’s city centre with my wife.
“It’s quiet and you can have some peace and quiet. We eat together, for example, avocado toast with salmon.”
Undav's spell in England was brief and he only played 30 times for Brighton, finding the net on eight occasions.
In August 2023, he went back to Stuttgart on a loan deal and had a superb debut season in the Bundesliga.
Undav scored 18 goals in 30 league games as Stuttgart finished second and qualified for the Champions League.
After signing permanently, he has continued to produce heroics in front of goal - scoring 38 times across the last two campaigns to take his overall Stuttgart tally to an impressive 57 goals in 117 appearances.
He was rewarded with a new contract extension until 2029 in June.
On the international stage, Undav never played at youth level despite being eligible for both Turkey and Germany.
He picked Germany and finally made his debut as a 27-year-old, coming on as a substitute against France in March 2024.
Undav has been incredibly prolific for his country, scoring a more than commendable nine goals in 13 appearances.
Though the 2026 World Cup was ultimately disappointing for Germany, Undav fared well and had five goal contributions in 56 minutes of action in the team's first two games.
He will be hoping to lead the line under new manager Jurgen Klopp, who replaced Julian Nagelsmann at the helm and will manage Germany for the first time against the Netherlands - managed by Xavi Hernandez - next month.
Topics: Premier League, Brighton And Hove Albion
Josh Lawless