Troy Deeney has been widely criticised for his "dangerous" comments on concussion following David Luiz's sickening head clash with Raul Jimenez.
That collision occurred during Arsenal's 2-1 loss to Wolves, leaving Jimenez with a fractured skull which required instant medical attention and later surgery.
The decision by Arsenal's coaching team to allow a bloody and bandaged David Luiz to play on until half-time (when he was substituted) caused widespread dismay. The symptoms of concussion are not always instantly apparent, but further head trauma can be life-threatening.
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However Watford striker Deeney suggested that the correct call had been made.
"As a player you know when something is not right," said Deeney on talkSPORT's breakfast show.
"So what I would say is, from watching David Luiz for the next 20-odd minutes afterwards, he never looked shaky on his feet.
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"His legs weren't gone from underneath him, so they followed all the protocols in terms of he's ticked every box... You don't see anything other than blood to suggest he's in a bad way."
However football fans on social media were quick to point out that Deeney's opinions were not only wrong, but highly dangerous - and that he is not speaking with any form of medical background.
"Troy Deeney advocating the exact reason why the decision should be taken out of the players hands. Reckless, dangerous comments," read one tweet.
Deeney also added on talkSPORT: "How many things have already been taken away from players? You are already told how much you can run, how much you can't by sport scientists.
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"At some point there has to be an element of trust between player and doctor. You do have all the protocols in place."
A video of Deeney's views was originally shared by talkSPORT, but the broadcaster has now deleted it.
Deeney's thoughts go against both medical and popular opinion. On Match of the Day 2, Alan Shearer and Jermaine Jenas both called for a "concussion substitution" to be introduced.
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This would mean a player could be taken off and replaced without that side having to use up a substitution, so penalising a team less harshly if one of their players suffer a clash of heads.
Many have also suggested that, when it comes to serious head injuries, key decisions should be taken out of the hands of managers and players, instead being given to match officials and the present medical professionals.
That approach certainly seems a lot more sensible than the one advocated by Deeney.
Featured image credit: PA Images/talkSPORT
Featured Image Credit:Topics: Football News, Football, david luiz, Premier League, Arsenal, Troy Deeney
