Eric Clapton "feared he would never play again" after suffering "disastrous reactions" to his second COVID-19 jab.

The 'Layla' hitmaker has revealed he was "pretty much useless for two weeks" with side effects from the AstraZeneca vaccine, which can commonly cause fatigue, chills, fever, nausea and headaches, and admitted he worried he wouldn't be able to perform again.

Despite the government insisting the vaccine is "safe for everyone", the 76-year-old guitar legend doesn't believe he should have received the jab, because he suffers from peripheral neuropathy; disease affecting the nerves beyond the brain and spinal cord.

In a letter to architect and film producer Robin Monotti Graziadei shared via Telegram, Clapton wrote: “I took the first jab of AZ and straight away had severe reactions which lasted ten days. I recovered eventually and was told it would be twelve weeks before the second one…

“About six weeks later I was offered and took the second AZ shot, but with a little more knowledge of the dangers. Needless to say the reactions were disastrous, my hands and feet were either frozen, numb or burning, and pretty much useless for two weeks, I feared I would never play again, (I suffer with peripheral neuropathy and should never have gone near the needle.) But the propaganda said the vaccine was safe for everyone…”

The 'Wonderful Tonight' hitmaker teamed up with Van Morrison on the anti-lockdown anthem 'Stand and Deliver' last year, and admitted it gave him a place to voice his "contempt and scorn".

He wrote: “I continue to tread the path of passive rebellion and try to tow the line in order to be able to actively love my family, but it’s hard to bite my tongue with what I now know.

“Then I was directed to Van [Morrison]; that’s when I found my voice, and even though I was singing his words, they echoed in my heart … I recorded ‘Stand and Deliver’ in 2020, and was immediately regaled with contempt and scorn. (sic)"