Aston Villa captain Martin Laursen has been forced into retirement at the age of just 31 by a persistent knee injury.
Laursen had not played since the 2-1 win against West Brom on January 10 when he aggravated the problem he picked up the previous month playing at West Ham.
He then suffered another setback
in February at a Villa training camp in Dubai.
There was no guarantee that surgery on his right knee would enable him to play again - leaving Laursen with little option but to hang up his boots.
The former Denmark international, who made 53 appearances for his country, said: "I cannot recover from my knee injury so I have to retire.
"Over the last few weeks I've had to decide whether to go ahead with another operation or to retire.
"My decision was to retire as it would have been a very big and difficult operation. At this point it is better for my health and future life."
Laursen, who admitted the last two seasons have been the best of
his playing career, added: "It is so strange, so weird that I've made an announcement that I will no longer play again whereas half a year ago I was flying.
"I was in the best shape of my life and playing every game. It is weird and I am really sad.
"Football has always been my life. I've been a professional since 1997 and done nothing else.
"I am looking at the positives that I returned from my previous operation and was playing the best football of my life.
"I'm now almost 32 and you cannot play football forever. You have to stop some time."
Laursen paid credit to Villa manager, Martin O'Neill, who himself had to quit playing because of a knee injury.
He said: "Martin O'Neill has been very helpful and has allowed me to take my time in making a decision.
"I can honestly say there have been more positives than negatives since he took over as manager."
Laursen joined Villa in May 2004 from AC Milan for £3million but made just 91 appearances for the club in five seasons.
He missed all of the 2005-06 season due to a problem with his left knee that had troubled him earlier in his career.
He announced his retirement from international football in January so
that he could extend his Villa career but that ultimately proved to be a false hope.
Laursen was the linchpin of Villa's team which has been vividly reflected in their playing record since his enforced absence in January.
Villa were flying high at the time but during his spell on the sidelines
the midlands club have only won once in 13 outings with manager Martin O'Neill admitting his team has "hit the buffers".
But it is hardly a coincidence that Villa have struggled badly in recent weeks and only emphasises the need for urgent replacements if they are to maintain the progress made over the last two seasons.
O'Neill admits it is going to be hard to replace his captain.
O'Neill, who takes his side to Middlesbrough on Saturday, has described the former AC Milan centre half as a "real leader."
O'Neill, who hopes to have Gareth Barry and Carlos Cuellar available at The Riverside following illness, said: "I was expecting Martin's decision.
"But the irony is that it was a knee with which he had never had a problem.
"I would not have believed that after we had beaten West Ham at Christmas-time he would only play one more league game for us.
"He is a still a very young man who had another year on his contract and the way he was going we would have been thinking of extending his contract.
"We have lost a real leader. We have lost a talisman.
We have lost a real quality central back.
"He will be hard to replace.
He has been a fantastic player for Villa.
He never shirked anything and he has been missed by everyone - myself, the players and fans."
Replacing Laursen will test O'Neill this summer, but of more pressing concern is trying to end the season with back to back wins after a run of just one victory in 13 games.
While it is no more than personal pride on the line for Villa, they can have a say in the relegation battle as after tackling Middlesbrough their final game is at home to Newcastle.
O'Neill added: "It is an interesting situation. Where does our responsibility lie?
"Let's say we come to the last day of the season and we cannot finish any worse than the position we are in and we are not costing anybody anything and you would love to play a couple of players to give them experience.
"What is the responsibility? What would other teams think?
"For instance, one or two players have been carrying niggles in the last couple of weeks and their presence has been significant for us.
"But at the end of the day would you play someone who is absolutely fresh and raring to go and would they make a bigger contribution to any particular game and how would the opposition view it?
"All these things have to be taken into consideration. It is a difficult one.
"We will try to win the last two games. It's as simple as that. If we drop points it ends up doing someone a favour."
O'Neill wants to see a marked improvement on the way his side performed when they lost at Fulham last weekend and he added: "If anyone had watched us play in our second-half performance against Fulham they would have nothing to fear. "Absolutely nothing to fear! Middlesbrough or Newcastle.
"We want to win the games but I can understand what other people are thinking.
"Unless we have a real crop of injuries I am still looking to include quality, experienced players such as Nigel Reo-Coker and Steve Sidwell who is dying for a game at this minute."
There was no guarantee that surgery on his right knee would enable him to play again - leaving Laursen with little option but to hang up his boots.
The former Denmark international, who made 53 appearances for his country, said: "I cannot recover from my knee injury so I have to retire.
"Over the last few weeks I've had to decide whether to go ahead with another operation or to retire.
"My decision was to retire as it would have been a very big and difficult operation. At this point it is better for my health and future life."
Laursen, who admitted the last two seasons have been the best of
his playing career, added: "It is so strange, so weird that I've made an announcement that I will no longer play again whereas half a year ago I was flying.
"I was in the best shape of my life and playing every game. It is weird and I am really sad.
"Football has always been my life. I've been a professional since 1997 and done nothing else.
"I am looking at the positives that I returned from my previous operation and was playing the best football of my life.
"I'm now almost 32 and you cannot play football forever. You have to stop some time."
Laursen paid credit to Villa manager, Martin O'Neill, who himself had to quit playing because of a knee injury.
He said: "Martin O'Neill has been very helpful and has allowed me to take my time in making a decision.
"I can honestly say there have been more positives than negatives since he took over as manager."
Laursen joined Villa in May 2004 from AC Milan for £3million but made just 91 appearances for the club in five seasons.
He missed all of the 2005-06 season due to a problem with his left knee that had troubled him earlier in his career.
He announced his retirement from international football in January so
that he could extend his Villa career but that ultimately proved to be a false hope.
Laursen was the linchpin of Villa's team which has been vividly reflected in their playing record since his enforced absence in January.
Villa were flying high at the time but during his spell on the sidelines
the midlands club have only won once in 13 outings with manager Martin O'Neill admitting his team has "hit the buffers".
But it is hardly a coincidence that Villa have struggled badly in recent weeks and only emphasises the need for urgent replacements if they are to maintain the progress made over the last two seasons.
O'Neill admits it is going to be hard to replace his captain.
O'Neill, who takes his side to Middlesbrough on Saturday, has described the former AC Milan centre half as a "real leader."
O'Neill, who hopes to have Gareth Barry and Carlos Cuellar available at The Riverside following illness, said: "I was expecting Martin's decision.
"But the irony is that it was a knee with which he had never had a problem.
"I would not have believed that after we had beaten West Ham at Christmas-time he would only play one more league game for us.
"He is a still a very young man who had another year on his contract and the way he was going we would have been thinking of extending his contract.
"We have lost a real leader. We have lost a talisman.
We have lost a real quality central back.
"He will be hard to replace.
He has been a fantastic player for Villa.
He never shirked anything and he has been missed by everyone - myself, the players and fans."
Replacing Laursen will test O'Neill this summer, but of more pressing concern is trying to end the season with back to back wins after a run of just one victory in 13 games.
While it is no more than personal pride on the line for Villa, they can have a say in the relegation battle as after tackling Middlesbrough their final game is at home to Newcastle.
O'Neill added: "It is an interesting situation. Where does our responsibility lie?
"Let's say we come to the last day of the season and we cannot finish any worse than the position we are in and we are not costing anybody anything and you would love to play a couple of players to give them experience.
"What is the responsibility? What would other teams think?
"For instance, one or two players have been carrying niggles in the last couple of weeks and their presence has been significant for us.
"But at the end of the day would you play someone who is absolutely fresh and raring to go and would they make a bigger contribution to any particular game and how would the opposition view it?
"All these things have to be taken into consideration. It is a difficult one.
"We will try to win the last two games. It's as simple as that. If we drop points it ends up doing someone a favour."
O'Neill wants to see a marked improvement on the way his side performed when they lost at Fulham last weekend and he added: "If anyone had watched us play in our second-half performance against Fulham they would have nothing to fear. "Absolutely nothing to fear! Middlesbrough or Newcastle.
"We want to win the games but I can understand what other people are thinking.
"Unless we have a real crop of injuries I am still looking to include quality, experienced players such as Nigel Reo-Coker and Steve Sidwell who is dying for a game at this minute."
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar