Former Premier League footballer Jermaine Pennant has spoken about a severe dog attack that left him needing 50 stitches and potentially requiring plastic surgery.
The incident occurred while Pennant was walking his American Akita, King, when a German Shepherd reportedly attacked King. Pennant intervened to protect his dog and was subsequently attacked himself.
"I was fearing for my leg. I knew it was bad, but I couldn't see it because my trousers were stuck to it," Pennant told talkSPORT. "My first thought was 'is King okay,' my next thought was I need to get to A&E as soon as possible."
Pennant received immediate medical attention at A&E, including a tetanus jab and antibiotics. He has a follow-up appointment with a plastic surgeon regarding a wound described as a "crater" due to significant skin loss.
"Tomorrow I have an appointment with a plastic surgeon as one of the wounds, there's a lot of skin gone and it's like a crater, and you can't stitch that as there's no skin to pull it together," Pennant explained. "So they're going to see if it can heal, if not, they're going to have to do a skin graft."
He expressed hope for no lasting damage, acknowledging that a scar is likely and a skin graft would be permanent, potentially affecting a tattoo. Fortunately, he can walk and is not experiencing pain.
Pennant later shared an emotional tribute to his dog, King, on Instagram, crediting him with intervening and preventing a worse outcome. "But the minute he did he fought the dog off and saved what could’ve been an horrendous situation for me," Pennant wrote. "My hero still protecting me and trying to look after me, KING you’re a legend love you, man’s best friend, thanks for taking care of us both."
Pennant, who retired from football in 2018 after a 17-year career, made 231 Premier League appearances for clubs including Stoke, Liverpool, Birmingham City, Leeds United, Portsmouth, and Arsenal. He has stated he does not intend to report the incident to the police.
Reports indicate a rise in out-of-control dog attacks, with nearly 30,000 cases recorded last year, an 83% increase from 2020.