Deano Set to Retire - Such a Shame

A few months after Dean Ashton’s initial injury I was told by a very reliable source that he would never play first-class football again because the break on his ankle was in such an awkward place that it could never fully properly be repaired. I blogged as such on a few sites and (to put it mildly) I got rebuked severely from almost every quarter as though I had done something wrong or had put a hex on him or jinxed him in some way.

One morning the discussion – re Dean’s injury - came up on Talksport radio between Alan Brazil, Mike Parry - and the public - whilst I was on my way to work so I phoned in to chip in with my tuppence worth. I was dismissed rather by Brazil and they cut me off. Brazil said on air (me cut off now so I can’t reply) that I shouldn’t be claiming or predicting that kind of thing about a professional football’s career it was a rotten thing for me to even suggest. I felt somewhat put-down as though it was my fault and some how I had broken his ankle and not Shaun Wright-Phillips.

A little while later (Dean has had a few months recovery by now) I was at a game at The Boleyn and as I was making my way down from the Premier Suite through the ‘stands’ to see a couple of my sons who are season ticket holders in the Dr Marten’s (west stand). It was early and as I passed the seats at the dug-out Dean was there – much to my surprise. I had a quick chat to him asked him how he was and how his recuperation was going wished him well and that, you know, how you do. He was very forthcoming and chatty if only briefly. He told me he was doing quite well and was back in light training – remember this was after the first operation but BEFORE all the subsequent ones and other later problems he had including that medial knee ligament - he didn’t seem sincere though with what he was telling me.

I am not suggesting for a minute he was lying because he wasn’t, it was more he was trying to be positive but knew a lot more than he was saying. I already had in my mind what I had been told about his situation (as I spoke with him) so maybe I was seeing/feeling something that wasn’t really there but he never came over as though he really meant what he was saying, you know kind of, if he spoke it, it would come true. I might be doing him an injustice but if my information was correct it would explain the reason that we had no information about him the whole time he was out.

And now look what we read again…
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=696429&sec=england&cc=5739