Former Norwich City and West Ham United footballer Dean Ashton is deciding whether or not to pursue a compensation claim over the ankle injury which forced him to retire early from the sport at the age of 26.
Ashton, who played one game for the England national team, is considering the possibly of taking legal action against Shaun Wright-Phillips, the player whose tackle during a training session broke the striker’s ankle.
The incident during training for the national team occured in August 2006 and he never made a full recovery, missing the entire 2006/07 football season and subsequently playing less than 40 matches for West Ham in the following three years.
He told the Sun that he also fears for his long-term health, saying: “It’s unlikely I will ever be able to jog again but right now, I can’t walk properly.”
Chelsea could also be dragged into the legal dispute as they were Wright-Phillips’s employer at the time of the incident. He currently plays for Manchester City.
