'Walking miracle' footballer returns to action six months after heart surgery

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FT Desk

Footballer Max Stryjek never had any doubt in his mind that he would return to the game despite six months on the sidelines following open-heart surgery.

The 29-year-old has enjoyed a journeyman career, playing for Sunderland, Boston United, Accrington Stanley, Eastleigh, Livingston, Wycombe, Crewe, Jagiellonia Bialystok and now Kilmarnock, with whom he has been with since 2025.

That career could have very easily finished in 2025 when a routine medical screening found that his aorta, the body's largest artery, "was a bit bigger than usual".

"I think the margin for normal human being is 40-41 millimetres is maximum you can have," he explained.

"Mine rose to like 55 and there was a danger of being basically ripped apart and I would just collapse and die.

"So they just told me, listen, there's a high risk of that, so you need to have operation as soon as possible."

Remarkably, Stryjek was told 10 years previous that he might have an issue in the future. His heart was, effectively, a ticking time bomb inside his chest

"When I moved to Sunderland when I was 16, obviously we had all the medical tests," he said.

"Then we got to the point where I was like 18, 19, so 10 years ago, when they actually told me like, listen, you've got this issue, it might be in the future, you might need an operation for it.

"I wasn't really stressed about it, so I just thought, okay, it's something I've got, I have to look after myself, look after my body and then, 10 years later, I'm getting operation done, which I never thought I will have to deal with, but you know, life, it's so unpredictable."

He successfully underwent surgery in November and within a couple of days, he was out of his bed, walking around the hospital in London.

Six months later, Stryjek returned in April's 1-0 defeat to Aberdeen, before keeping a clean sheet in Saturday’s 3-0 win over Dundee United, a result that moved his side above St Mirren and out of the Scottish Premiership relegation play-off place.

Kilmarnock's previous manager, Stuart Kettlewell, described the goalkeeper as a "walking miracle."

Though he still retains a love for the game and never considered quitting, he has realised there is more to life than football.

"I still love it, I'm still passionate about it, but I just got to the point where obviously I've got a fiancee now and it was like a life-changing moment for me to obviously realise there's some more important things in life than football," the Pole said.

"Obviously, your health and people around you as well, so you appreciate them more. At the end of the day, it's my job, you know, and if someone told me I couldn't play football right now, I would be gutted."

As for his heart, Stryjek says it is no longer an issue, but that he will still need to undergo routine checks to make sure he can continue to play and live a normal life.

Killie, now under Neil McCann, are one point above the relegation playoff spot in the Scottish Premiership.