Poor Abou Diaby. For so long he was supposed to be the next Patrick Vieira, but now he’s been released by Arsenal after reportedly suffering upwards of 40 injuries in his nine years at the club.
He’s not the first, of course – here are some other players who were tipped for great things before injuries held them back.
1. Jonathan Woodgate
Woodgate briefly formed a formidable central defensive partnership with Rio Ferdinand at Elland Road and Leeds fans, only slightly fuelled by bitterness over the latter’s move to rivals Manchester United, will tell you it was Woodgate who was the better player.
Woodgate was always injury prone, but it was a serious injury while at Newcastle – which didn’t stop him earning a move to Real Madrid – that was the beginning of the end. Despite the injury, Woodgate briefly becase a first-choice centre-back at the Bernabeu, but further injuries followed and he could never fully establish himself.
2. Dean Ashton
A hugely talented striker who played one game for England but injuries forced him top retire at the age of 26. It was a dodgy ankle which did for Dean, a physical, skilful and talented forward who impressed while at Crewe and Norwich.
Speaking in 2013, he said: “It has been four years but it is one of those things I will never, ever get over. Whenever I think about it, it makes me sad.”
3. Michael Johnson
Johnson was just 18 when he burst into the Manchester City team and within a few months he’d established himself as a first-team regular. A year later though, he was undergoing a double hernia operation – and he was never the same again.
He retired at the age of 24 having barely played in five years, and later underwent treatment for mental health issues, saying in an interview a couple of years back: “I would be grateful if I could now be left alone to live the rest of my life.” He seems to be in a better place now though, with stakes in various new business ventures in Manchester.
4. Owen Hargreaves
Let’s not feel too sorry for Hargreaves – he had a fine career with Bayern Munich before joining Manchester United and has two Champions League winners’ medals to his name. But the injuries he suffered at United cost them – and England – a player who was developing into arguably the best midfielder in the country.
After being released by United he was reduced to putting videos of himself exercising on YouTube to prove his fitness. A brief stint at Manchester City didn’t improve the situation and he hasn’t played since.
5. Joe Parkinson
A huge fan favourite at Everton, Parkinson was a member of the team that won the FA Cup under Joe Royle in 1995 and was on the verge of being picked for England when he was struck by a knee injury which kept him out for most of the 1996/97 season.
He retired at the age of 28 and for a while worked as a forklift truck driver but is now back in the game as Wigan’s development squad coach.
Source: SNAPPA
