Aldershot Town boss Tommy Widdrington is on the mend

RECOVERY TIME: Aldershot Town boss Tommy Widdrington spent six days in hospital after suffering two strokes last week

PICTURE: Ian Morsman

ALDERSHOT Town say manager Tommy Widdrington is now “back recovering at home and in good spirits” after being taken ill.

The 53-year-old was taken to Southend General Hospital last Wednesday where extensive tests and scans revealed he had suffered two strokes.

Wife Sharon and his family issued an update on Widdrington’s health on Friday, revealing the former Southampton, Grimsby Town and Port Vale midfielder had returned home on Tuesday and was making “very good progress and is feeling and looking a lot better already”.

Widdrington sends message to Aldershot fans

While thanking well-wishers for their messages of encouragement, received from all over the world, the statement added: “He also wants the Shots fans to know he has total faith in the staff and the players in his absence and looks forward to being back in the dugout when he’s deemed fit enough to do so”.

Assistant bosses Hugo Langton and Richard Dryden led Aldershot for yesterday’s FA Trophy match with Wealdstone but the Shots expect the former Salisbury and King’s Lynn Town boss to make a return to the dugout.

“Tommy is our manager and continues to be our manager,” chairman Shahid Azeem told The NLP.

“But he has a strong team around him who he trusts, as we do, to take over the team while he recovers.

“That, of course, is the priority here.

“We are in constant touch with him and his wife Sharon and I know he’s been on Zoom calls with Hugo, Richard and the team, even when he probably shouldn’t!

“That’s just him, though, he’s very passionate about his football and is the consummate professional.

“It’s a blip, and hopefully he can come back from that blip even stronger, but there’ll be absolutely no pressure from us or anyone else.

“His health and well-being is the only thing that matters at the moment and everyone at the club is right behind him with love and best wishes.

“Tommy is a fit, strong lad and we fully expect him to make a full recovery but, for now, he’s just got to take things easy.”