5 footballers whose careers ended prematurely due to serious injuries
The nature of football is volatile, and players have to be careful about their health and fitness in order to extend their careers.
Despite such wariness, unfortunate events take place on a football field. Football at the highest level requires good conditioning of both body and mind, and sometimes the body is unable to take the strain of an intense, physical sport.
Several wonderful players have had to retire due to serious injuries. Football is filled with such individuals, whose careers were tragically cut short and their talents were left unfulfilled due to various fitness issues.
We look at 5 footballers whose careers ended prematurely due to serious injuries.
#5 Luc Nilis
A prolific but underrated footballer, Luc Nilis played alongside players like Ruud van Nistelrooy and Ronaldo Nazario. He was highly rated by his colleagues.
The Belgium international is well-renowned for his days with Anderlecht and PSV Eindhoven. With both clubs, he scored in excess of 100 goals, and at PSV Eindhoven he formed a deadly attacking partnership with van Nistelrooy and won two league titles.
Nilis joined Aston Villa in 2000 and scored on his league debut. However, the striker suffered a serious shin injury during a game against Ipswich Town and there were fears of amputation. Fortunately, that was not the case, although Nilis' playing career ended after the injury. He is currently a striking coach at PSV Eindhoven.
Also Read: Euro 2020: 5 players who could impress in unfamiliar positions
#4 Pierluigi Casiraghi
A versatile forward, Pierluigi Casiraghi was a selfless attacker who made his name as a hard-working and intelligent player.
Casiraghi spent most of his playing career with Juventus and Lazio. The Italy international won the Coppa Italia once with both sides, and while he was not a consistent goalscorer, he was valued because of his work off the ball.
The forward joined Chelsea in 1998, thus leaving Italy for the first time. That very year, Casiraghi suffered a cruciate ligament injury during a game against West Ham United, and underwent multiple operations. However, he was unable to make a comeback and his contract with Chelsea was terminated in 2000.
Also Read: Fabrizio Romano's Transfer Roundup: Barcelona acting decisively in the transfer market, Manchester United working on Sancho and more