Premier League cult hero forced to retire aged 33 wants a 'life free of pain' after new surgery

A former Premier League star has issued a heartbreaking statement from a hospital bed after undergoing surgery at just 34.

These days, world-class footballers play at a high level for much longer than previous generations, with Lionel Messi, 38, and Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, being two notable examples of top-level players who continue to defy logic with exceptional performances, despite no doubt being in the twilight of their respective careers.

Many players in their mid-thirties continue to perform in the Premier League, with Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk arguably still being the best in the league as he approaches his 35th birthday.

However, not all players are so lucky, with injuries still part and parcel of a footballer’s life, and some are forced to end their careers due to the impact the sport has had on their bodies.

An example of this is former Spurs winger Erik Lamela, who retired at the age of 33 in 2025 due to a chronic hip problem.

At the time, the Argentinian, who represented River Plate, Roma, Spurs, Sevilla and AEK Athens, as well as his country 25 times, explained the reasons for his premature retirement in a statement, revealing that his hip issues started in 2017.

Part of the statement read: “After the operations went well, they gave me four more years of my career. They told me I’d get worse over time, and that’s what I’m experiencing now. With a lot of sacrifice, spending hours with the physiotherapists, strengthening myself in the gym, and with an endless series of injections and treatments, I’ve managed to play more than twice as much.

“For five years, I’ve been taking pills for every match to be able to play in the best possible condition, starting with the lowest dose and recently taking the maximum two days before the match to be ready.

“Now I have decided to put an end to all this; now all this effort ends.”

Now, almost a year on, the 34-year-old took to social media following an operation on his hip, with the former winger posting a video of his leg in plaster, as well as an X-ray.

Lamela wrote: “A bit sore, but with my new hip, let’s hope this prosthesis is the start of a pain-free life. 🤞

“A greeting to everyone, thanks to those who always write! 🙏”

Fans waded in with well-wishes in the comments section.

Lamela made 487 professional appearances, winning the Europa League with Sevilla in 2023