Pepe Reina has revealed he was living in "endless minutes of fear" after contracting symptoms of coronavirus, admitting he could not breathe for nearly half an hour.

Reina, the Aston Villa goalkeeper on loan from AC Milan, is recovering after self-isolating but has delivered a vivid and alarming recollection of his suffering from the illness last week.

The former Liverpool star is understood to have picked up symptoms earlier this month and has told Corriere dello Sport that he subsequently spent over a week indoors at the family home to fight it.

"The most difficult moment was when I could no longer breathe, the 25 minutes I ran out of oxygen. It was the worst moment of my life," he said.

"I don't miss the company as it's me, my wife Yolanda, five children and two in-laws. The house is big and loneliness has no access to my home.

"I was very tired after experiencing the first symptoms of the virus. A fever, dry cough and a headache that never left me - it was just that constant feeling of tiredness.

"The only real fear I had was when I understood that there was no oxygen: endless minutes of fear, as if suddenly my throat had closed.

"As a result, I spent the first six or eight days indoors. I am winning the battle against coronavirus now."

Reina signed on loan for Villa in January and has admitted that he first started displaying symptoms in training, before the season was suspended due to the pandemic.

He has also insisted that football is secondary to the worldwide fight against the deadly disease, with the Premier League set to discuss a possible restart date later this week.

"Football takes a back seat," he said. "I don't care much, really. Everyone's well-being goes above anything else. I will be a supporter of playing when everything is in the best conditions, that everyone is safe.

"Football cannot be a priority right now. It is not important to finish this league. I know and am aware of all the interests that exist around soccer, especially economic ones. But there are also many other areas, and right now the first thing is people's health.

"April 30 as an option for the Premier League to return seems to me that it will not be a real date and I think we are going to go much further.

"But it will be time that dictates the moment. When we are all safe it will be time to take action and set dates. So far, it is useless to talk and predict any return option."