London, United Kingdom  (AFP) —Former England and Nottingham Forest defender Stuart Pearce is recovering in a Canadian hospital after suffering a health scare on a flight from the United States.

Pearce had been in the US to attend last Saturday’s Super League match between Wigan and Warrington.

The 62-year-old became unwell on his Virgin Atlantic flight home and after he received treatment, a decision was made to make an emergency landing, with the plane from Las Vegas to Heathrow diverted to St John’s in Canada.

Football commentator Sam Matterface, who works with Pearce for radio station talkSPORT, said the Forest legend is now in good spirits.

“I spoke to him yesterday, he’s in great spirits,” said Matterface, from the City Ground ahead of Saturday’s game between Forest and Manchester City, another of Pearce’s former clubs.

“He isn’t 100 percent, that is definitely the case, but he is in the right place, he is in the hospital. They are dealing with it.

“He actually said to me, ‘I have got so much I had to cancel. Some great games, and Mumford and Sons are playing on Wednesday night and I can’t go now’.

“He wasn’t happy about that. He is in good spirits.”

A message was displayed on the big screen at the City Ground during Forest’s Premier League game against Manchester City on Saturday.

It read ‘Get Well Soon Stuart’ in the third minute, recognising Pearce’s old shirt number three.

Pearce made 401 appearances for Forest during a 12-year stint and also played for Coventry, Newcastle, West Ham and Manchester City, whom he later managed.

He also earned 78 caps for England and played in the semi-finals of Euro 96 and the 1990 World Cup, in which he missed a penalty in the shoot-out defeat to West Germany.

Pearce scored in the Euro 96 quarter-final shoot-out win over Spain, and semi-final defeat to Germany at Euro 96, and his celebration of his successful spot-kick against the Spanish became one of the defining images of the tournament.

He spent six years as manager of England Under-21s and was caretaker manager of the senior team for one game.

He also coached the Great Britain men’s team at the London 2012 Olympics.

Pearce’s last job in football was as a part of David Moyes’ coaching staff at West Ham, a role he left in 2022.

On the incident, a statement from Virgin read: “Due to an unwell customer on board, the VS156 on 2 March flying from Las Vegas to London Heathrow diverted to St John’s International Airport, Canada and was met by the medical services.”