Unfortunate they were, for their injuries ended their illustrious careers too soon
As we all know, football is a contact sport and injuries are a part of the game. Throughout the game's history, many professionals have suffered grave injuries because of which they had to hang their playing boots forever. In short, their careers ended way too soon because of an injury. In this column, we’ve listed down the names of a few such players who had to bid adieu to the game because of injuries.
David Busst- David Busst was a defender for the Coventry City football team. In 1996, the team went up against Manchester United, which turned into the last professional game of Busst’s footballing career. When Manchester United’s goalie Schmeichel saved a corner, Busst ran in to receive the ball. In the process, he collided with Denis Irwin and Brian McClair. The collision resulted in a fractured tibia and fibula to his right leg. After 26 surgeries, Busst came out walking from the hospital, but his career was over at 29.
Fabrice Muamba- An energetic midfielder for Bolton Wanderers, Muamba’s life almost ended when he was on the pitch at the White Hart Lane against Tottenham Hotspur. While playing, Muamba suffered a cardiac arrest and fainted on the pitch. Muamba’s heart stopped for 78 minutes, but miraculously, the doctors brought him back to life. At 23, the glittering career of Muamba ended, but fortunately, he survived the game of life.
Pierluigi Casiraghi- After impressive spells at Lazio and Juventus, Chelsea signed Pierluigi Casiraghi, who was also a member of the 1994 Italian World Cup team. For Chelsea, Casiraghi was a huge signing, but his career ended shortly. After playing merely nine matches and scoring one goal, he collided with West Ham’s goalie Shaka Hislop, which resulted in cruciate knee ligament damage. After 10 surgeries, he returned on the pitch, but things were never the same for him. In 2002, he hanged his boots.
Marco van Basten- With over 200 goals for club and country, we still consider Marco van Basten as one of the best Dutch players of all time. Van Basten could’ve been one of the best in the world, but his career was cut short at the age of 28 because of several ankle injuries. He tried to get back on the pitch but suffered because of the damages, which forced him to hang his studs forever.
