Former Liverpool player looked unrecognizable after amazing weight loss and 'years of struggling'

Former Liverpool hardman Neil 'Razor' Ruddock turned heads last year after his remarkable weight loss journey, having shed an impressive seven stone. The ex-Anfield enforcer faced up to his weight battle after tipping the scales at a hefty 27 stone during the pandemic, acknowledging he was "getting bigger and bigger."

Taking decisive action, Ruddock underwent gastric sleeve surgery in 2022 and took to social media to share his progress a year later. He tweeted about his transformation, saying, "After years of struggling with my weight, I decided it was finally time to take action," and detailed his experience with @WeAreTransform_, celebrating a staggering 93lbs loss.

Ruddock was keen to embrace this new beginning, looking forward to what he called his next "chapter" post-surgery. The football world rallied around Ruddock's success, with Liverpool icon Robbie Fowler chiming in with a supportive "Love it Raze".

John Hartson, the former Celtic and Wales striker, and Ray Parlour, once of Arsenal, also joined the chorus of praise, with Hartson remarking Ruddock is "Looking a million dollars big fella" and Parlour congratulating him with "Well done Big Razor".

Ruddock's tenure at Liverpool, following his transfer from Tottenham Hotspur in 1993, saw him don the red shirt for five seasons. He made 115 appearances and lifted the League Cup in 1995.

"After years of struggling with my weight, I decided it was finally time to take action," Ruddock said. "Last year I had gastric sleeve surgery with @WeAreTransform_ and I'm well into my weight loss journey, to date I've lost 93lbs. This is a fresh start and I'm excited about this new chapter."