EX-HIBS star Garry O’Connor claims he had blood taken, “cleaned” and re-infused before games in Russia.

The former Lokomotiv Moscow striker, 34, lifted the lid on the unusual pre-match routine in an Open Goal interview with Si Ferry.

He said it left him feeling like he could play TWO matches in a day.

O’Connor left Easter Road for Lokomotiv in 2006 and spent 14 months at the club before returning to the UK with Birmingham.

Hailing Spartak’s methods, he said: “You would get your blood taken out.

“And before the game you’d get it put back in.”

3 O'Connor praised opposition players he faced in Russia and said they were 'machines' Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

3 The striker made the breakthrough at Hibs Credit: Kenny Ramsay - The Sun Glasgow

Ex-Celtic kid Ferry, 30, responded: “So they would take your blood out?”

O'Connor said: “They’d take your blood out, clean it, put it back in, go into the oxygen chamber.

“That’s the way they work mate.”

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Peterhead midfielder Ferry asked the Scot if the methods had “blown his mind”.

He replied: “Aye because you felt like...you felt like a million dollars, ken what I mean?

3 The Scot lifts the Russian Cup after scoring the winner in the 2007 final Credit: AP:Associated Press

“See when you were playing, you felt like you could play two 90 minutes.”

O’Connor could be asked to explain his remarks – which suggest autologous blood transfusions may have been administered - by football’s governing bodies and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

SunSport Online has contacted Lokomotiv Moscow for comment.

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