A former Premier League striker says he ‘almost died twice’ because of serious allergic reactions.
A former Premier League striker recently opened up about two scary allergic reactions that almost cost him his life.
Deniz Undav joined Brighton from Union SG in January 2022 and scored five goals in 22 Premier League games. Since returning to Germany, he has become a star for Stuttgart in the Bundesliga.
In a new interview, the 30-year-old shared that he has a serious seafood allergy, especially to shrimp, which has caused severe swelling and trouble breathing—not once, but twice.
He said, “I eat sushi, but only with salmon or vegetarian options because I can’t have shrimp. I’ve had allergic reactions twice and almost died both times. Everything swells up, and I can’t breathe. I had never even heard of that before.”
Undav also talked about his free time, saying he enjoys going out to eat in Stuttgart with his wife, Tanja. “When we have international games, we usually train in the afternoon. Then late at night, between ten and twelve, we like to visit Stuttgart city center. It’s quiet and peaceful. We often eat together, like avocado toast with salmon.”
His time in England was short, playing only 30 games for Brighton and scoring eight goals. In August 2023, he went back to Stuttgart on loan and had an amazing season, scoring 18 goals in 30 league matches and helping the team finish second to qualify for the Champions League.
After signing permanently, Undav continued to shine, scoring 38 goals in the last two seasons. He now has a stunning total of 57 goals in 117 games for Stuttgart and earned a contract extension until 2029.
Internationally, Undav hadn’t played for youth teams but was eligible for Turkey and Germany. He chose Germany and made his debut at 27, coming on as a substitute against France in March 2024. Since then, he has been impressive, scoring nine goals in 13 games.
Although Germany’s 2026 World Cup didn’t go as hoped, Undav performed well, contributing five goal actions in just 56 minutes during their first two matches. Now, he looks forward to leading the team under new coach Jurgen Klopp, who will face the Netherlands, coached by Xavi Hernandez, for the first time next month.