Former Manchester United star sues surgeon for millions after claiming 'career was ended by unnecessary operation’

A former Manchester United youngster is suing a surgeon for millions after claiming an unnecessary operation resulted in his career ending.

Sylvan Ebanks-Blake came through the ranks at United and played twice in League Cup games, scoring against Barnet.

He went on to join Plymouth Argyle, before scoring 64 goals in 193 games for Wolverhampton Wanderers and later turning out for the likes of Ipswich Town, Preston, Chesterfield, Shrewsbury Town prior to dropping into Non-League.

While playing in the Championship, in April 2013 he suffered a broken tibia and sprained ankle against Birmingham City.

The England Under 21 international went under the knife and never played in the top flight again.

Ebanks-Blake claims he developed arthritis after the operation but stressed he was not made was not made aware about pain, stiffness and and reduction of movement' potentially being a serious issue - and would not have consented if he knew the risk attached.

Image: PA

The striker would go on to suffer a third leg break in the 2019/20 campaign while playing for Walsall Wood in the Midland League.

As a result, he is suing orthopaedic surgeon Professor James Calder and seeking a substantial compensation payment.

In documents filed at the High Court and reported on by the Express and Star, his barrister Simeon Maskrey KC says the procedure, which also included keyhole surgery to remove damaged tissue from his ankle - effectively ended Ebanks-Blake professional career and he suffered from depression.

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"He would have opted to wait and undergo surgery if or when the joint became painful or stiff," Maskrey said.

"He was left unable to play football at all without recourse to steroid injections. 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."

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The amount Ebanks-Blake is suing for has not been disclosed but the average salary for a Premier League player at the time was £1.6 million.