The 33-year-old underwent 7 surgeries successful a comeback bid
- Jim Sheridan, Sport Reporter
- Published: 20:16, 24 Oct 2024
- Updated: 20:16, 24 Oct 2024
STUART DALLAS has opened up connected the fearfulness infinitesimal helium realised his nonrecreational shot vocation was over.
The ex-Leeds prima was near crying successful symptom aft a sickening on-field collision with Man City's Jack Grealish successful April 2022.
Dallas clocked up 267 appearances for Leeds and was a two-time Player of the Season astatine Elland Road.
The 33-year-old was playing full-back for the Whites arsenic they battled relegation from the Premier League 2 years ago.
He collided with Grealish successful a 50-50 tackle which "felt similar a car crash."
Dallas suffered a catastrophic femoral fracture, with his anterior cruciate ligament ripped cleanable disconnected the bone.
The Northern Irish prima told Ben Foster's Fozcast: "I retrieve feeling a crunch.
"It was a horrific feeling. From that constituent I knew I was successful large trouble.
"I retrieve trying to crook my leg. I was a subordinate who didn't usually spell down.
"Straight distant the doctors could spot I was successful agony. I was struggling to respire and truthful overmuch was going done my head."
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Dallas underwent seven-hour country that night, earlier six much operations implicit the coming months.
But his shot vocation couldn't beryllium saved, with his retirement officially announced this summer.
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Dallas continued: "Andy Williams [knee specialist] said it is the worst wounded he’s seen successful 30 years."
Foster added: "You tin excuse Jack Grealish, he’s not trying to bash anything.
"He’s not trying to wounded you. He’s conscionable trying to prevention himself from injury.
"You’d ne'er successful a cardinal years deliberation that overmuch harm could beryllium done."
Grealish got successful interaction with the Leeds prima pursuing the incidental and has remained successful interaction ever since.
Dallas told Leeds Live successful April: "[There's] nary bitterness.
"Listen, it's portion of football. I astir apt went into that situation truthful galore times and I've conscionable tried to intercept the shot and past evidently Jack's travel crossed me.
"He contacted maine consecutive distant aft that, erstwhile I was successful the hospital, and has been successful interaction since that.
"There's nary bitterness. It's conscionable portion of the crippled and, unfortunately, I came disconnected worse and that's it really, but nary bitterness astatine all."
Following his retirement, Dallas is targeting a vocation successful absorption oregon coaching.
After earning 62 caps for Northern Ireland, helium was precocious spotted helping retired brag Michael O’Neill successful a Nations League clash with Luxembourg.