FORMER England footballer Glenn Hoddle has said surviving a cardiac arrest in 2018 inspired him to perform on The Masked Singer.

Hoddle, 63, who also managed the national side, had his identity revealed during the ITV programme on Saturday evening after being disguised as Grandfather Clock.

He said falling ill in October 2018 had encouraged him to grasp the opportunity to sing on TV.

The Masked SingerGlenn Hoddle was unveiled as Grandfather Clock (Vincent Dolman/Bandicoot TV/ITV/PA)

Speaking about the response to his identity being revealed, he said: “People were surprised. I have always been singing, whether I am any good or not is another thing. I just love singing. I have loved it since I was 16 or 17. I have been into music.

“My son is a musician. He is a writer. He has taken up music so it must be in the family somewhere. I just so enjoy singing.

“And why not do it as an opportunity? What happened to me two years ago, I am lucky to be here to be quite honest.

“I thought to myself, ‘Why not? Let’s just go for it. Let’s enjoy it. Enjoy life’. That was part of the decision to go into the show as well.”

In 2018, Hoddle suffered a cardiac arrest on the set of BT Sport, on his 61st birthday and needed to be rushed to hospital for lifesaving surgery.

A sound supervisor at BT was on hand to administer CPR and he was taken to hospital where he had a quadruple heart bypass.

Hoddle said he expected to be teased by his colleagues when he returned to the live studio.

He said: “There were a couple of really funny text messages but I am sure once I get back to doing some punditry in the studio there is going to be a little bit of leg-pulling, which you expect of course.

“But I was happy with the job. I think I did an OK job. I didn’t make a fool of myself. I was worried I was going to trip over, as I said, in the boxes as feet.

“I managed to get through. But as I say, I would have loved to have another week at it, but it wasn’t to be. I was pleased with how it went.”

Despite his apparance on the ITV show, Hoddle dismissed the idea he might appear on other TV competitions such as Strictly Come Dancing and I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!

He said: “Over the years I have been asked to do the jungle, Strictly – you name it, I have been asked to do it and I have said, ‘No, nothing like that’.

“But I said to them if there was anything on the singing front that comes up then let me know, we will have a crack at it maybe. That’s how it has come about.

“I’ll keep it down to just behind the mic if I do anything in the future.”

The Masked Singer airs on ITV at 7pm on Saturdays.