Injuries: The unlucky ones

Eurosport - Tue, 17 Feb 17:35:00 2009

While Arsenal's Eduardo da Silva made a successful return from his broken leg, here are five players who were not so lucky after suffering serious injuries.

2001 Manchester City Alf Inge Haaland - 0

Bert Trautmann - At the height of his career, the adopted Mancunian from Germany featured prominently for Manchester City in the 1956 FA Cup final, only to dislocate five vertebrae in his neck, the second of which was cracked in two, in a collision with Birmingham's Peter Murphy. The injury - only diagnosed the day after - kept Trautmann out for much of the following season and when he did return to action, he lacked confidence and was never the same player again. As proof, during the 1957-58 season, City shipped 100 goals with Trautmann managing to keep just two clean sheets.

Jim Beglin - The Irishman was part of Liverpool's Double-winning side of 1986 and seemingly the defender had the world at his feet under the leadership of Kenny Dalglish. But a terrible leg break sustained in a tackle with Everton's Gary Stevens during a Merseyside derby the following season signalled the beginning of the end for Beglin. Once fit again, he struggled to win back his place in the side following the emergence of Barry Venison and later Gary Ablett. Another season down the line, while playing for the reserves, he damaged cartilage in his knee and his Liverpool career ended soon after.

David Busst - Another sickening image, this time for those present at Old Trafford in 1996, Busst snapped his leg in an innocuous-looking challenge with United's Dennis Irwin. Play stopped for 15 minutes whilst the blood from the Coventry player's double compound fracture was washed off the pitch. Busst faced the horrific prospect of having his leg amputated, a nightmare scenario thankfully avoided, but he never played again.

Luc Nilis - The Belgian striker came to England from PSV Eindhoven amid much fanfare in 2000, only to sustain a double fracture to his right leg early on in his Aston Villa career. The break, sustained in a clash with Ipswich keeper Richard Wright, was so bad that he was forced to announce his retirement four months later. Nilis has since returned to PSV, where he works as a coach.

Alf Inge Haaland (pictured) - The Manchester City defender was subjected to a vicious, knee-high tackle by Roy Keane in 2001, a challenge the Manchester United man initially claimed was revenge for Haaland's unsympathetic attitude towards him when sustaining a cruciate injury four years earlier. Despite several attempted comebacks, the Norwegian never recovered and eventually retired from the game in 2003. As for Keane, you could say he went on to enjoy a degree of success since recovering from his own injury...

Mike Hytner / Eurosport

Comment 1 - 15 of 15

Sort comments by: Most recent

  1. finaly eduardo is back

    From tarmizi, on Wed 18 Feb 3:45AM

  2. Sean R, can you read? I already stated that Keane DID­ kick Haaland but that kick had nothing to do with the­ ending of Haaland's career. If he paid up it­ wasn't for ending someone's career but for a­ deliberate assault. I've never heard of Keane­ paying damages to Haaland but I'll take your word­ for it. I never said it wasn't a deliberate­ kick.
    Dodger, it seems you missed the point of my post.­ Haaland's career was ended by an unrelated injury­ to his other leg. To suggest or imply that his career­ would have continued for further games or seasons­ misleading, incorrect and probably libellous.

    From Gearoid, on Tue 17 Feb 11:54PM

  3. change the title to epl history, or maybe u never heard­ of marco van basten, I thing worth mentionning, as well­ as salas, ronaldo, and dt know how u missed the glass­ player now everton exmanutd

    From JBJ, on Tue 17 Feb 10:55PM

  4. haaland was on his way out already.Check his history­ Anti-Keane
    muppet's.Keane's autobiography­ was wrote by E.Dunphy you muppet sean r.
    Busst of­ Coventry was worse i ever seen.Sadly done by a reknown­ fair
    player,D.Irwin.Can anyone tell me who had­ their leg amputated during
    a game?Could be Dougan­ im not sure,anyone?

    From treeman, on Tue 17 Feb 9:37PM

  5. Roy keane was a brilliant player and was key to man­ u's treble success, however he had ome anger­ management issues. :S

    Thankfully with modern­ technologies not many people have to retire through­ injury anymore :D

    From cedricsime, on Tue 17 Feb 8:16PM

  6. Erm yeah Keane has already paid Haaland damages so that­ would suggest that he did do it on purpose and being­ the idiot he is admitted to it in his book...hence­ paying damages. Dont see any other words needed in this­ area of debate.

    From sean r, on Tue 17 Feb 7:55PM

  7. Alessandro Nesta hasn't had a full season since­ 1998 and his latest back problem looks set to force him­ into early retirement.

    From Gio, on Tue 17 Feb 6:48PM

  8. Umm.. Alan Smith? Sure he played football after but­ this really cut him down in his career defining years.­ I think he could've been great.

    From G, on Tue 17 Feb 5:56PM

  9. Gearoid, te fact of the matter is, keane did. if the­ tackle never happened and Haaland left the field, no­ injuries, his career would not hav ended. as for­ mbwparts, keane couldnt hav been a bad player to­ captain man u are winning and did win several­ compitions. Maybe a dirty, foulin player but not bad

    From dodger, on Tue 17 Feb 5:42PM

  10. Gearoid, te fact of the matter is, keane did. if the­ tackle never happened and Haaland left the field, no­ injuries, his career would not hav ended. as for­ mbwparts, keane couldnt hav been a bad player to­ captain man u are winning and did win several­ compitions. Maybe a dirty, foulin player but not bad

    From dodger, on Tue 17 Feb 5:40PM

  11. mbwparts
    I won't shut up, you shut up. Bit*h!!!

    From Gearoid, on Tue 17 Feb 5:00PM

  12. Casiraghi? surely?

    From vsbgoodisa, on Tue 17 Feb 4:39PM

  13. Oi!!!! Gearoid!!!!! Keane is a tool!!!! A horible­ footballer so shut up!!!!

    From mbw, on Tue 17 Feb 4:38PM

  14. Which is surely why Keane was left out of the­ "Success" lists....the thug!

    From matt d, on Tue 17 Feb 4:26PM

  15. You're leaving yourself open to libel charges here.­ To state or imply that Keane ended Haaland's career­ is false and libellous. Yes, it was a vicious challenge­ by Keane, but it was on Haaland's right leg. It was­ injuries to his left leg that ended his career.

    From Gearoid, on Tue 17 Feb 4:25PM
Sort comments by: Most recent

Not already a Yahoo! user ? to get a free Yahoo! Account