The drama began when he lost a finger while attempting to jump a fence on the way to his football academy at Cannes in southern France.

Clichy, 21, recalled: “At Cannes, the stadium was being reconstructed. My friend and I decided to cut through the building site to get back to the academy quicker.

“When I jumped over a metal fence my ring got caught and I tore my finger off.

“I had a seven-hour operation to sew everything back on but at some point I had a problem with my lungs — and my heart stopped for 20 seconds.”

The drama took place on Friday the 13th and the doctor at the hospital said it was a miracle that Clichy, then aged 15, survived.