Jake O'Brien Opens Up On Diabetes and Everton Exit Rumours

Everton defender Jake O'Brien is a giant of a defender, versatile, and a Republic of Ireland international, but that's far from the most interesting thing about him. 

For most footballers, the sport is something that consumes their life, and O'Brien is no different, but he has something bigger he has to deal with every single day. 

O'Brien is the only Type One diabetic playing in the Premier League currently.

The Everton defender has had some scary episodes during his life due to his diabetes, with one incident almost putting him in a coma. 

The six-foot-six defender has lived an interesting life, and he reveals all in an interview with the Daily Mail.

O'Brien has an app on his phone, like many with diabetes, that allows him to track his blood sugar levels. The Republic of Ireland has a monitor attached to his arm to help track that, linking to his phone in order to stay on top of whether he needs to add more insulin to his body.

As a result of needing to keep track of his blood sugar levels, O'Brien often has to pull his phone out in the dressing room, and that didn't go down well with one person before they understood the reasoning behind it. 

 "There was one guy who didn’t react too well. Mentioning no names! He was saying, 'What are you doing on your phone?' but he soon realised what it was for," said O'Brien. 

O'Brien admits that some of his team-mates have been taken aback by it in the past, especially when he has to inject insulin into his body.

"One or two are taken aback at first. It can be a bit confusing. Or maybe those that are a little squeamish, but they soon get used to it. It's only a small needle."

O'Brien was taken to the doctors when he was younger due to the fact that he was losing weight, was regularly tired, and was constantly thirsty despite drinking an obscene amount of water. It was then that he was close to slipping into a coma.

"I was told I was a day away from a coma. If I had gone to sleep that night without having gone to the doctor, who knows?"

There were reports during the summer transfer window that O'Brien could leave Everton. The towering defender has been forced to play at right-back for the majority of his Everton career, despite being a natural centre-back.

The Everton man stresses, however, that there was nothing in the reports that he could leave the club, and he was never close to departing.

"There was nothing in that. I was never close to leaving. People know I'm not a natural right-back but I'll play where I need to, to help the team. We're only a small squad, so it's important everyone chips in."

Speaking on former Everton defender Seamus Coleman, who left the club in the summer, O'Brien says that he's a good friend, and he still gives him tips and advice about playing at right-back.

"Seamus is a good friend. He still gives me pointers of where to be, positioning wise and seeing the game differently."

It will be no surprise to Everton fans to hear that Coleman is still trying to help O'Brien to this day. The man bleeds Everton, and of course, he'll certainly go the extra mile to help a player who plays for the Republic of Ireland. 

If you want to catch the full interview, check out the link below.