‘It’s psychologically devastating’: The pain and mental trauma that comes with serious injury

Sign up to our free sport newsletter for all the latest news on everything from cycling to boxing Sign up to our free sport email for all the latest news Sign up to our free sport email for all the latest news SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “Whether it was my kids, my wife, my parents, I couldn’t tell you what it was that came to my head.” Danny would later reach out to his family and friends for help – “that’s the day that saved my life” – but his unique case reflects the mental extremities which can manifest as a result of injury, as well as the devastation it wreaks in forcing an athlete out of their sport. The player, who was 16 at the time and is now out of the professional game, alleges that the club’s physiotherapists ‘didn’t really 100 per cent know what they were doing’ and “ran out of ideas” in treating him as his back injury came to repeatedly hinder his form, fitness and even the ability to walk on some days. The youngster himself admitted to the English Football League in July 2018 that, “looking back now”, it’s likely he struggled mentally during his time at the club. Ipswich says it “acted to the highest standards in the player’s medical treatment in line with the National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidelines and in his general well-being.” His experience – which can be read in full here – saw the PFA “urgently” demand the FA carry out a “thorough and far-reaching safeguarding investigation” into the matter.