It's over eleven years since Matt Murray suffered a serious injury whilst keeping goal for Hereford that ended his footballing career.
Murray had joined Hereford to regain fitness after a previous injury when just three games into his loan spell from Wolves he sustained a further injury whilst playing for the Bulls at MK Dons in November 2008
“Forget the play-off final, forget when we beat Albion, that game at Norwich, I just felt so good.
“When it came to Hereford, I had come through injuries like a cruciate, broken shoulder, broken foot, and was at the stage where I was going to make sure that I properly enjoyed every single game that I played. Then, I just hit a ball, and my knee completely snapped.
“The patella tendon had ruptured and the pain? Well I can’t even describe it.
“It was completely different to a cruciate – my kneecap was halfway up my thigh – and all of a sudden I am there, laid out, lying on a stretcher.
“You have to get a lift at MK Dons to get back out of the stadium and there were three big roars while I was in there as Hereford conceded goals.
“It is difficult to completely describe how I felt, because there was a lot going on in my life at that time, the sort of stuff that I know lots of people have to go through – the human side – which affects footballers just like it does anyone else.
“My wife at the time was pregnant with our second child, my landlord who I had lived with when I was in the academy had just suffered a massive stroke, and my nan, who would pass away shortly afterwards, was really ill in hospital.
“My stepdad was at the game and went to fetch my stuff, and so were my good mates Dave and Rob, and when I got into the ambulance, I phoned Keaney (Robbie Keane).
“I’ll never be ashamed to say I properly burst into tears at that moment, everything just came flooding out.”
Murray regained some fitness and played a few games but soon realised he couldn't continue. Ten years ago today, August 26th, he retired.
Luckily, amidst other roles, he became a reporter for Spy Sports.
Read more at: https://www.expressandstar.com/sport/football/wolverhampton-wanderers-fc/2020/08/26/a-decade-on-matt-murray-recalls-day-he-knew-wolves-game-was-up/