Lyndon Dykes during a Scotland training session at Lesser HampdenEuro 2024 Qualifying Group A: Scotland v CyprusVenue: Hampden Park, Glasgow Date: Saturday, 25 March Kick-off: 14:00 GMTCoverage: Live commentary on BBC Radio Scotland, live text on the BBC Sport website & app, highlights on BBC One Scotland
Scotland striker Lyndon Dykes says "I'm grateful for everything I have" following a "scary" time in hospital with pneumonia.
The 27-year-old has recently returned for Queens Park Rangers following a near seven-week absence.
He has played three games since recovering, lasting the full 90 minutes in Saturday's 1-0 home defeat by Birmingham City.
"I'm just happy to be back on the pitch and not in a hospital bed," he said.
"It was quite serious. It went from zero to 100 pretty quick.
"They kept me in hospital for eight days. It was tough on me and my body. It was a scary moment."
- Scotland coach happy to leave 'health risk' OriamWhy out-of-favour Gilmour's 'next call is massive'
Dykes, who has scored eight goals in 26 internationals, recalled feeling ill against Swansea City on 21 January. He talked of flu-like symptoms, saying he "kept trying to battle on".
Five days later, he was diagnosed with pneumonia following a CT scan of his lungs.
"I'm the kind of person who just wants to get on with it but my body couldn't take any more," said the Australia-born forward. "I was struggling to breathe.
"Then the medicine I was taking wasn't quite working the way they wanted it to at the hospital and at that time I wasn't thinking about football; it was about myself, my family.
"The specialists are shocked at how quickly I've come back. Even myself, I'm a bit surprised. I needed to build myself back up because I didn't do much for so long.
"The positive that I took out of it is that I'm grateful for everything I have. When I'm playing now I kind of step back a bit and realise what I'm doing. I see the crowd and my family watching and I try to enjoy each moment."
- Scotland call up Blackburn Rovers defender HyamRobertson 'more settled' as Scotland captain
Pick your Scotland XI to face Cyprus
Select formationConfirm team
- The dangerous rise of Andrew Tate: Enter the world of the social media personality’s multi-level marketing scheme and webcam businessThe rise and fall of the jeweller-turned-criminal: Listen to Gangster: The Story of John Palmer
Source: bbc.com