I’m not sure that having your leg broken by the filthy little ******* John Spencer really classes as being injury prone. Not many players could run that off, although to be fair Ales Krizan did once try.
You are right , when he was on loan he was superb & I might be wrong but I think we forked out about £100 k for his services on a permanent, which was a decent fee in them days & then the rest as they say is history but on his day he was a top full back.
Gary Fleming was one of the unluckiest to my mind. Blossomed into a really good player for us before being cruelly forced to retire at the ridiculously young age of 30 due to an anterior cruciate ligament. Ironically now a very successful physio.
I wouldn't class him as 'injury prone' per se but the saddest one has to go to Watson. Can't be easy for a keeper of that calibre to retire before they're even in their 30s. I'm glad his coaching career has been successful though
I still think he’d have gone on to leave for a big club and possibly play for England. He was an amazing talent and a bit unlucky to be on the short side, meant he wasn’t necessarily the greatest on crosses but he’s the best shot stopper I’ve seen in a reds shirt, and the only keeper I’ve seen who i’d always back in a one on one with any forward. Technically didn’t retire until 28 in 2001 - but he never played after getting injured at Norwich in 1998, at the start of the season after relegation from the premier league. At 24. A lot of keepers don’t get a first team place until after that age, he might have played for another 15 years. Terrible shame. With how things have moved on with knee surgery I suspect had the injury happened within the last ten years rather than 20 years ago he may have had more luck.
I'd have to add Aidy White to the list. Injury after injury his plagued this poor lads career, such a talent too. Loved seeing him and Hammill down that left flank 3/4 years(?) ago. If someone spat on his ankle he would be out for 4 months.
Podsibly even sadder than Watson was Ian Wardle. Double leg break in his 9th first team game. Never played professionally again.
got to be phil gridelet due to the cost & hype he played for england later in the world cup finals after leaving us, an extra in mike bassett film, i kid you not ;-) https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1058444/
I can’t believe we’re even having this debate. It’s got to be Marty Hopkirk aka Phil Gridelet. Apparently his Girlfriend could see him but the fans never did.
I'm sure that Janne Salli could have been a great player for us, and I find it sad how his career ended just when it was supposed to properly begin. I don't think he was that injury prone to begin with - he just got really unlucky once and never really recovered from that serious knee injury. He actually returned to professional football back in Finland after being sidelined for nearly three years, but of course he was nowhere as good as he used to be.
I did see Phil Gridelet. He was in with the away fans at Oxford in September or October 1991. One of the few away games I've ever been to (lived there at the time) and was next to him.
Kevin dixon, signed by spackmonster from the white sh!te in 2001.....injured in pre season and stayed that way.....don't think he ever played....sithi.