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Ex-England striker Jay Bothroyd suffers blackout on Japan pitch

Former England International striker Jay Bothroyd is recovering in hospital in Japan after collapsing and suffering a blackout while training with J.League side Consadole Sapporo on Saturday.

Bothroyd, 35, is a teammate of Thailand international Chanathip Songkrasin in Sapporo, and the news of the ex-Cardiff City forward was first reported by Thai media outlet Siam Sport.

Thirty minutes into the side's training session, Bothroyd experienced convulsions, and required 10 minutes of intensive medical treatment on the training pitch before being rushed to hospital.

The training session was subsequently cancelled with teammates, including Chanathip, stunned and very concerned.

As speculation mounted that he had suffered a possible heart problem, Bothroyd took to Twitter a few hours after the incident to reassure his followers that all was well and that the blackout was "nothing serious".

It is not the first time Bothroyd has suffered this type of health problem.

Twelve years ago, while playing for Charlton Athletic, he suffered a blackout that caused him to crash his car. This had followed an earlier episode at the age of 17.

Bothroyd has played a key role in Consadole's battle against relegation, netting six times in 11 games since joining the club in July.

He is perhaps best known for his time at English Championship club Cardiff City, where he spent three successful seasons.

It was during this period that he earned his one and only England cap in 2010 against France, becoming Cardiff's first England international in their 111-year history.

Bothroyd also played in the Premier League with Queens Park Rangers and made his first move to Asia when he joined Thai League side Muang Thong United in 2014.

A former Arsenal junior, Bothroyd spent two seasons with Japanese club Jubilo Iwata before moving to Consadole.

He was J2 top scorer in 2015, with 20 goals in 32 matches, helping them to earn promotion to the top flight.