NEWPORT County AFC defender Fraser Franks said that he was left "on the verge of panic attacks" after finding out that he would have to retire due to a heart issue just months before his first child is due to be born.

His last match for the club was at Notts County on February 19. He missed training later that week due to an irregular heartbeat and spent more than a week in hospital.

“I played against Notts County on the Tuesday and came off feeling a little bit lethargic," he said.

"I thought it was because I was out for a little while with my ankle and that was one of my first games back.

“The day after I had virus-like symptoms.

“I took myself to bed quite early and tried to sleep it off but it wasn’t working.

READ MORE: Newport County AFC defender Fraser Franks forced to retire due to heart issue

“I started getting a racing heart and getting a few pains around there so I woke my wife up and said ‘you’re going to have to take me to hospital.’

“At the hospital, they took my blood pressure and heart rate. As soon as they saw my heart rate they took me through and I knew something wasn’t quite right.”

Following his time in hospital, the 28-year-old was advised to retire with immediate effect.

The centre back said that the support that he has received from his family and the club has helped him come to terms with the news.

“It’s tough,” he said. “The first couple of weeks were a lot tougher than this last week.

“I had severe anxiety and was almost on the verge of panic attacks just from where you have been told that [you have to retire].

“You are thinking ‘What am I going to do?’ and ‘How am I going to support my family financially?’.

“All those worries just go racing through your head and you find it tough to sleep.

“I’ve got some good people around me. In the last couple of weeks, I have come to terms with it.

“My wife was concerned about me and wanted me to be safe and happy.

“It’s hard, where she is seven months pregnant you don’t want to burden her with all your problems.

“She’s helped me see the positives in it and I feel like we can still be happy.

“We’ve got something to look forward to with our first child on the way.

“I’m seeing the positives now and I’ve got a lot more to look forward to in life.

“All the boys have known about this for a couple of weeks, and management and the chairman have been brilliant with me.

“He wants to make the transition process as easy as he can for me."

Having already completed his coaching badges and scouting qualifications, Franks is hoping to continue with a career in football.

"I love football. I love training, I love playing games, it’s something that I have always wanted to do," he said.

"You get a lot of players that play football because they are good at it, not necessarily because they love it. I’ve always enjoyed what I do and I’m passionate about it.

"I’m going to miss going out and being able to play.

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"Hopefully there is an opportunity where I can stay in football and have a long career doing whatever I’m going to be doing next.

"I’ve got a good knowledge of the lower leagues and non-league and I go and watch various games so if I do go in to the scouting route or the recruitment side of it, it may help me in the future.

"I am glad that I tried to put things in place when I was a bit younger so I can go in to things straight away."

Franks, who only joined County from Stevenage last summer, said that the club's FA Cup run was among the highlights of his career.

"I think once it got announced you get lots of messages from ex-teammates and it brings back a lot of memories and it can be quite emotional to look back," he said.

“For me the Leicester game is one of the proudest moments I’ve had in football, and having the opportunity to play against Manchester City – you don’t get that a lot in your career.

"I can look back and be happy but I want to look forward more and try and enjoy what comes next."