Hwang Hee-chan, right, said he "felt almost dead" after testing positive for COVID-19 ©Getty Images

South Korean forward Hwang Hee-chan has offered an insight into the affects of having COVID-19 after he tested positive for coronavirus while on international duty last month.

Hwang told Julian Nagelsmann, the head coach of his club RB Leipzig, that he "felt almost dead" for a week when he contracted the virus.

"It was the case that he had the full range of symptoms," Nagelsmann said. 

"I spoke with him briefly and he said, 'For the first seven days, I was almost dead.'

"That’s exactly how he put it."

The South Korean forward is not likely to feature for his club RB Leipzig for the rest of the year ©Getty Images
The South Korean forward is not likely to feature for his club RB Leipzig for the rest of the year ©Getty Images

Hwang was among at least eight South Korean players who tested positive for COVID-19 following friendly matches against Mexico and Qatar in Austria in November.

Four of the players - Forwards Lee Dong-jun and Na Sang-ho, midfielder Kim Moon-hwan and goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo - were flown home on a chartered flight.

Hwang has since been unable to take part in full training and expected to be ruled out of action for Leipzig, who play in the German Bundesliga, for the remainder of the year.

South Korea have qualified for the men's football competition at Tokyo 2020, and Hwang could potentially be called upon as one of three overage players.

Hwang was part of the South Korean team that won the 2018 Asian Games title, scoring three goals including the winner in the final against Japan.