‘I nearly walked away from football’ – Charlton head coach Appleton on how career-ending injury nearly broke him

New Charlton head coach Michael Appleton contemplated walking away from football after a botched surgery ended his playing career.

Appleton won £1.5m in damages for the way a surgeon dealt with a posterior cruciate ligament injury he suffered in training in 2001.

He was forced to retire at the age of 26 after six surgeries in the space of two years.

“Effectively I went into the first operation with one injury and really came out with four injuries,” Appleton told the South London Press.

“You can imagine psychologically what that did to a young lad in his 20s who was just desperate to play. The club were top of the Championship and got promoted to the Premier League. I was still going through the recovery stage of my injuries.

“Two years, in and out of operations and the gymnasium every day. It nearly broke me mentally – but it didn’t.

“It was a really tough time in my life and cost me 10 years of my career. What it did was give me an opportunity to step into the coaching side a little earlier.”

Appleton namechecks then Baggies boss Gary Megson as crucial in keeping him invested in the sport.

“At that time, I was saying: That’s me done – I’m going back north,” explained Appleton. “Gary said: Look, stick around. Come in every day – go in the dressing room, put the kit on, go in the gym, do your prehab and rehab, then come and watch training.

“He told me to stick to the routine that I was doing, hang around and see what happens.

“Over those three, four or five months I started watching the coaching and picking up things. I started doing my coaching badges. I might not have done that if I’d gone back north. I might’ve spat the dummy out.

“Because of the injury I was into doing a lot of weight training at the time. I possibly would have gone and been a PT (personal trainer). I’m not the most academic – but I say that having done a masters in sports directorship and I’m now part of the way through a post-graduate in strategic leadership.”

Appleton worked with current Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson at West Brom.

“He probably made the biggest impact on me as a coach,” said Appleton. “His attention to detail is as good as anything I’ve ever seen and worked with.

“To still have the enthusiasm, drive and willingness to win at his age just says everything about him as a person. He is really intelligent, a proper football man.”