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BBC News
2 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Ex-Wolves footballer claims surgeon prematurely ended career
A former footballer's career came to a "premature end" due to an unnecessary procedure by a leading surgeon, the High Court has heard in a case brought by the ex-player against the Ebanks-Blake underwent surgery after breaking his left leg while playing for Wolves against Birmingham City in April is claiming that action by the medic during an operation to repair the injury "gave rise to inflammation", and sped up the development of osteoarthritis in his surgeon, Prof James Calder, denies the allegations and will argue, the court heard, "his clinical skills prolonged" the player's career. In written submissions, Simeon Maskrey KC, representing Ebanks-Blake, told the court on Wednesday: "The onset of symptoms and the development and acceleration of osteoarthritis brought the claimant's footballing career to a premature end."Mr Maskrey said the 39-year-old had suffered a previous ankle injury and, although this resulted in some "stiffness", he had learned to adapt and it caused him no the 2013 fracture, a procedure followed which Mr Maskrey said "carried with it the significant risk that it would render the ankle symptomatic".Ebanks-Blake maintains the surgeon failed to properly tell him of associated risks - something Prof Calder denies, stating there was a lack of time for the footballer to weigh up his Maskrey said that had his client been told that "wait and see" was a reasonable option, which ran the risk of the ankle becoming symptomatic and needing later intervention, "he would have taken that risk".He said it was for the court to decide whether his client "was provided with sufficient information to provide informed consent". 'Made positive comments' During the operation, Prof Calder's treatment included cleaning out the joint and removing some cartilage, the court Forde KC, representing the surgeon, said in written submissions: "It is arguable that if Professor Calder had done anything other than what he did do, he would have been negligent for not dealing with the loose fragments and unstable cartilage."He continued: "The defendant's position is that through his judgment and skill he prolonged the claimant's career."Mr Forde also told the court that Ebanks-Blake's witness statement is the earliest indication of his "dissatisfaction", and had previously made positive comments about his court heard that after the surgery, Ebanks-Blake continued playing football for a number of years, retiring in case before Mrs Justice Lambert is due to conclude on 22 July. Follow BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
The Independent
3 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
Footballer's career ended prematurely because of unnecessary procedure
A former Premier League footballer's career came to a 'premature end' due to an unnecessary procedure carried out by a leading surgeon, the High Court has been told. Ex- Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, 39, had surgery after he broke his left leg during a match against Birmingham City in April 2013. He alleges that during the operation to fix his leg, the surgeon, Professor James Calder, also performed procedures, which included cleaning out the joint and removing some cartilage, that 'gave rise to inflammation', and sped up the development of osteoarthritis in his ankle. He also says the surgeon failed to properly tell him the risks associated with the procedure. Prof Calder is defending the claims and denies that there was a lack of time for the footballer to weigh up his options. In written submissions, Simeon Maskrey KC, representing Ebanks-Blake, said on Wednesday: 'The onset of symptoms and the development and acceleration of osteoarthritis brought the claimant's footballing career to a premature end.' Mr Maskrey said the footballer had suffered a previous ankle injury and, although this resulted in some 'stiffness', he had learned to adapt and it caused him no pain. He continued: 'The proposed procedure carried with it the significant risk that it would render the ankle symptomatic.' Mr Maskrey also told the court the surgery consent process was 'wholly inadequate', and Ebanks-Blake was given 'no opportunity of considering his options'. He added that had his client been told that 'wait and see' was a reasonable option, which ran the risk of the ankle becoming symptomatic and needing later intervention, 'he would have taken that risk'. Mr Maskrey said it was for the court to decide whether Ebanks-Blake 'was provided with sufficient information to provide informed consent'. Martin Forde KC, representing the surgeon, said in written submissions: 'It is arguable that if Professor Calder had done anything other than what he did do, he would have been negligent for not dealing with the loose fragments and unstable cartilage.' He continued: 'The defendant's position is that through his judgment and skill he prolonged the claimant's career. 'The claimant's case quite clearly is that his career was curtailed.' Mr Forde also told the court that Ebanks-Blake's witness statement is the earliest indication of his 'dissatisfaction', and before this, he had made positive comments about his recovery from injury. He added: 'Far from curtailing the claimant's career, the defendant will argue that his clinical skills prolonged the career of a professional player who suffered a very serious injury.' Mr Forde told the court that after the surgery, Ebanks-Blake continued playing football for a number of years, retiring in 2019. The case before Mrs Justice Lambert is due to conclude on Tuesday July 22.
The Sun
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Ex-Man Utd wonderkid and Premier League star suing doctor for £7m over ‘unnecessary' op he claims cost him his career
A FORMER Manchester United wonderkid is suing a doctor for £7million over an "unnecessary" operation. Sylvan Ebanks-Blake went under the knife after breaking his leg in 2013. 2 2 The retired striker never fully recovered from the injury as he did not return to top-flight football after the surgery. The 39-year-old believes that his surgeon, Prof James Calder, performed an "unnecessary" and "destructive" operation on his ankle. As a result, Ebanks-Blake says that the procedure caused his top-flight career to end prematurely. His barrister Simeon Maskrey KC told Mrs Justice Lambert at London's High Court: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" It is also part of the footballer's case that he claims he was not asked for proper consent before the operation. However, Prof Calder's lawyers have argued that Ebanks-Blake overestimated his skills. They said he "had an overoptimistic view of his own powers of recovery". Barrister Martin Forde KC added: "Far from curtailing the claimant's career, the defendant will argue that his clinical skills prolonged the career of a professional footballer, who had suffered a very serious injury." Ebanks-Blake was a promising forward in his youth days as he represented England at the Under-21 level. He also played youth football for Manchester United before leaving the club in 2006 for Plymouth Argyle. Where are they now: The unusual careers of former footballers The striker spent two years there before joining Wolves and established himself at the club. He scored 62 goals in 193 appearances for the club, including ten in the Premier League. Ebanks-Blake helped the club reach the top-flight in 2009 and was part of the iconic strike partnership alongside Irishman Kevin Doyle. He spent five years at the Molineux before the broken fibula injury struck. Ebanks-Blake left the club at the end of that season and bounced around clubs until he retired in 2019 at Walsall Wood following another leg fracture.
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Sport
- Telegraph
Former Premier League striker sues surgeon for £7m over ‘destructive' operation
A former Premier League footballer whose career was derailed by an injury to his leg is suing his surgeon for over £7m. Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, 39, who was a striker for Wolverhampton, claimed he never played top flight football again after surgery following a leg break in 2013. The former England under-21 star said that surgeon Prof James Calder caused the premature end to his Premier League career when, in addition to fixing the leg break, he performed an allegedly unnecessary and 'destructive' operation on his ankle. Powers of recovery Simeon Maskrey KC, barrister for Mr Ebanks-Blake, told London's High Court that his client 'was left unable to play football at all' without relying on steroid injections. He said that the footballer also claimed that he was not asked for proper consent before the procedure on his ankle. Martin Forde KC, the barrister for Prof Calder, denied blame for the decline in the footballer's career. He said Mr Ebanks-Blake 'had an overoptimistic view of his own powers of recovery'. Mr Forde added: 'Far from curtailing the claimant's career, the defendant will argue that his clinical skills prolonged the career of a professional footballer, who had suffered a very serious injury.' 'No reasonable justification' The Cambridge-born striker had played youth football for Manchester United before working his way up to the Wolves, where he scored 64 goals in 193 appearances between 2007 and 2013. After a leg fracture at the end of the 2012-13 season, Mr Ebanks-Blake spent the rest of his career at lower and non-league clubs. He eventually retired after suffering another injury while playing for a non-league club Walsall Wood during the 2019-20 season. Mr Ebanks-Blake is suing for the loss of a Premier League career at the age of 27, which his barrister said he blames on the ankle surgery performed for 'no reasonable justification' by Prof Calder. Lawyers for Prof Calder confirmed outside court that Mr Ebanks-Blake values his claim provisionally at over £7m. At the time of the operation, the average annual salary for a top flight footballer was £1.6 million. After fracturing his tibia in April 2013, the orthopaedic surgeon operated on Mr Ebanks-Blake's leg, the court heard. During the operation to fix the bone, the doctor also performed key hole surgery to his ankle which removed cartilage and performed a 'microfracture' procedure in the underlying bone, aimed at provoking new fibrocartilage growth. Long-term effects The surgeon says he performed the ankle operation after spotting problems with the cartilage, which he considered could get worse if left alone. But Mr Ebanks-Blake's lawyers say the operation resulted in 'stiffness and reduction of movement' in his left ankle and called the procedure 'destructive'. He added that while Mr Ebanks-Blake was advised to have the procedure, he was at the time suffering no symptoms, and would not have consented if he knew the 'significant risk' of long-term effects. He added that 'the claimant can no longer play football' due to the pain, and has developed 'psychiatric symptoms of depression', which require ongoing physiotherapy and psychological support. Mr Forde told the judge that Prof Calder denied that the footballer didn't give proper informed consent. He said: 'Mr Ebanks-Blake was keen to be operated had several days to discuss treatment with the club doctor. He added: 'The treatment provided by Prof Calder would be supported by a responsible body of trauma and orthopaedic surgeons with expertise in treating patents within elite sport.'
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Premier League footballer sues surgeon for £7m saying his top flight career was ended by unnecessary operation for which he did not give proper consent
A former Premier League footballer is suing his surgeon for £7million, saying his career was ended by an unnecessary operation which he did not consent to. Ex-Wolves striker Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, 39, never played top-level football again after going under the knife following a leg break in 2013. The former England under-21 star says that his surgeon, Prof James Calder, as well as treating the leg fracture, performed an unnecessary and 'destructive' operation on his ankle which caused the premature end of his top level career. 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it,' his barrister, Simeon Maskrey KC, told Mrs Justice Lambert at London 's High Court today. He said that the footballer's case also includes a claim that he was not asked for proper consent before the procedure on his ankle was carried out. But lawyers for Prof Calder deny blame for his career tanking, saying Mr Ebanks-Blake 'had an overoptimistic view of his own powers of recovery.' 'Far from curtailing the claimant's career, the defendant will argue that his clinical skills prolonged the career of a professional footballer, who had suffered a very serious injury,' the surgeon's barrister Martin Forde KC said. The Cambridge-born striker had played youth football for Manchester United before working his way up from the lower leagues to Wolves, where he scored 64 goals in 193 appearances between 2007 and 2013. But a leg fracture at the end of the 2012-13 season marked the end of his time in the top flight and he spent the rest of his career at lower and non-league clubs. He eventually retired, hanging up his boots after suffering another injury while playing for non-league outfit Walsall Wood during the 2019-20 season. Mr Ebanks-Blake is suing for the loss of a lucrative Premier League career at the age of just 27, which his barrister said he blames on the ankle surgery performed by Prof Calder. After fracturing his tibia in April 2013, orthopaedic surgeon Prof Calder operated on his leg, the court heard. But during the operation to fix the bone, the doctor also performed an arthroscopy - a type of key hole surgery - to his ankle, and followed up by removing cartilage from the player's ankle and performing a 'microfracture' procedure in the underlying bone, aimed at provoking new fibrocartilage growth. The surgeon says he performed the procedure after spotting problems with the cartilage, which he considered could get worse if left alone. But the former star's lawyers say the operation resulted in 'stiffness and reduction of movement' in his left ankle when it had previously been fine, and slammed the microfracture procedure as 'destructive'. He was transferred to then Championship club Ipswich Town late in 2013 but, despite regular steroid injections into the ankle, he continued suffering with pain. From there, he moved to Preston North End, before drifting down into non-league football and retiring following a further leg fracture in January 2019. 'His decision to stop was the result of the continuing pain and stiffness in the left ankle joint and not because of the fracture,' Mr Maskrey said. Mr Ebanks-Blake is suing Prof Calder for compensation over the loss of his career, claiming there was 'no reasonable justification' for performing the ankle operation, which he claims accelerated the development of arthritis in the joint. Although the surgeon had advised him to have the procedure, he was at the time suffering no symptoms and the risk of causing pain and stiffness in a professional sportsman far outweighed any potential benefit, said the KC. If Mr Ebanks-Blake had been informed of the 'significant risk' of long-term pain and stiffness, he would not have consented to the operation, the barrister added. 'He was left unable to play football at all without recourse to steroid injections,' he said. 'When he did play, the loss of movement and pain hampered his ability to play to his previous standard. 'The combination of an inability to play regularly and/or for a reasonable length of time and his reduced standard of play gave rise to transfers from the Premier League to the lower divisions of the English Football League and eventually to non-league clubs. 'Following the fracture of the left fibula on the 26th January 2019, the claimant reasonably gave up playing football. He did so not because of the consequences of the fracture, but because of the pain and stiffness in the left ankle joint. 'It is probable that without any intervention on the part of the defendant the left ankle joint would eventually have become symptomatic. 'However, the symptomology would have been delayed, would probably have been of slow onset and would not have prevented the claimant from continuing to play in the Premier Division and/or the Championship until his mid-30s. 'As it is, the claimant can no longer play football. He continues to suffer pain and stiffness in the left ankle. He has developed consequential psychiatric symptoms of depression.' Mr Maskrey said the result of the operation was that Mr Ebanks-Blake lost his income as a professional footballer and now needs ongoing physiotherapy and psychological support. But Mr Forde, for the surgeon, told the judge that he denies that the footballer didn't give proper informed consent. 'Mr Ebanks-Blake was keen to be operated had several days to discuss treatment with the club doctor,' he said. 'He arrived at the an overoptimistic view of his powers of recovery.' Denying that the surgeon was wrong to treat the ankle, he added: 'The treatment provided by Prof Calder would be supported by a responsible body of trauma and orthopaedic surgeons with expertise in treating patents within elite sport.' Lawyers for Prof Calder confirmed outside court that Mr Ebanks-Blake values his claim provisionally at over £7m.
