Croatian Defender Šime Vrsaljko Hailed as Life-Saver After Fernando Torres Suffers Head Injury

Šime Vrsaljko stopping Fernando Torres from swallowing his tongue Photo: UESyndication/PIXSELLPhoto: UESyndication/PIXSELL

Quick-thinking Croatian defender Šime Vrsaljko has been hailed as a ‘life-saver’ today.

When Atletico Madrid striker Fernando Torres fell heavily on his head in the 85th-minute in his side’s 1-1 with Deportivo, his teammate Vrsaljko and captain Gabi were the first to rush to his aid to turn him on his side and pull out his tongue.

When the incident happened some Atletico Madrid players could not watch and turned away in shock, but Vrsaljko was quick on his feet and did not hesitate to rush to Torres to stop him swallowing his tongue.

“It was unbelievable how Vrsaljko and Gabi reacted in that moment of shock. Šime done a fantastic job”, Deportivo’s doctor, who was one of the first on the scene, said.

Atletico’s fans were also full of praise for the Croatian right-back.

“Vrsaljko saved his life”, “They are our Heroes”, “Šime is man of the match” – were some of the comments after the match.

Vrsaljko hailed as a hero with Gabi Photo: UESyndication/PIXSELLPhoto: UESyndication/PIXSELL

Torres was taken to hospital but was reportedly now in a “stable, conscious and lucid” condition and will make a full recovery and be ‘back in action soon’.

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