A Tartan Army member who contracted Covid during a trip to Wembley when Scotland played England is currently in hospital with pneumonia, hepatitis A, and a blood clot.

Following a 13-day stint in self isolation, 29-year-old Anthony Joseph was taken to hospital on Monday after his health took a turn.

The Portlethen-born Sky Sports news editor who has no major underlying health conditions is now urging young people to take the vaccine to prevent people from taking seriously ill.

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“On the Sunday after the England-Scotland game, my friends returned to Aberdeen and some took lateral flow tests before they went near their families and a couple tested positive,” Mr Joseph, who now lives in London, said, “When I heard that I took myself away from my partner and baby on my Father’s Day and began isolating in the spare room. I felt okay at the time and tested negative on a lateral flow test. But that night I started to get shivers and was sweating buckets and felt really drowsy.”

On Monday, June 21, a lateral flow test confirmed he was positive for the virus and added that for around 10 days he was coughing, his body ached, he was drowsy and could “barely get out of bed”.

He added: “The fever started to go and I felt like I was getting better even though I was coughing a lot and was very weak. The doctor said I could come out of isolation last Friday as I had been fever-free for a few days and I did, but still just stayed in the house as I couldn’t walk far - my legs were sore and I was out of breath. 

“Over last weekend my cough was getting worse and I was coughing up a lot of blood in the mornings. I first thought it was just a cut in my throat because I was coughing violently and when I have a cold that usually happens as I have mild asthma, but by Mondayit was pure blood that was coming out.”

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Mr Joseph contacted his GP who immediately sent him to Lewisham hospital with a suspected blood clot in his lung.

Doctors confirmed that Mr Joseph had a number of blood clots in his lung, which were forming together to create a large clot as well as pneumonia and hepatitis A in his liver all caused by the effects of Covid.

As a result, he is currently being treated in hospital and will be on medication for around six months. Additionally he will need to return to hospital for regular injections and check ups.

He said: “If I keep responding well to the treatment the doctors say I could return to a sort of normal life within a month so hopefully it all goes to plan. 

“I just want to reiterate the message of getting a vaccine. My friends were all vaccinated in Scotland. I hadn’t been in London - I was booked for June 28 which was the earliest I could get locally. 

“I’m the only one out of the 11 Portlethen Tartan Army who has been hospitalised and is facing medium term effects. 

“This shows the vaccine works and I’d urge anyone my age to get a vaccine. I was unfortunate I caught Covid before I could get mine.

"I’m just glad it’s been caught early. The doctor said I could’ve felt like I’d recovered and gone back to normal life then had serious problems in a few months’ time.

“They’re hoping if I keep responding well to the treatment, I can be out of hospital next week. I don’t know when I can get the vaccine now, it could be some time. 

“But I’ll be protected by immunity for a few months. Hopefully it’ll be safe for me to have it sooner rather than later.”

An estimated 20,000 of the Tartan Army travelled to London for the game month despite warnings not to if they did not have a ticket.

Data from Public Health Scotland showed there were almost 2,000 people who attended a Euro 2020-related event while infected with the virus while national clinical director, Jason Leitch said travelling fans had undoubtedly contributed to Scotland’s recent spike in cases.