Former Premier League striker Malcolm Christie has opened up on the physical and emotional toil he endured in his injury-stalked career.
The ex-Derby and Middlesbrough forward retired at the age of just 29. At a time when he should have been in or approaching his prime, Christie was instead going through injury hell. Now, 13 years on from his decision to quit the sport, he has penned his memoirs for the release of his book titled ' The Reality of the Dream '.
His problems began when he broke his leg in a training ground incident in November 2003. He had only joined Boro earlier that year but little did he know that he would soon see his career stagnate, with more time on the operation table than out on the pitch.
"They messed about with my injury," Christie recalls, speaking to the Mail. "I don't think I was treated right or the right decisions were made. I ended up playing and training with a broken leg, which was horrific. Then the second injury comes along. Then the third and fourth. Then it's the seventh and eighth operation. Gradually, over time, the drive and impetus drains away and the resentment builds up."
After making a return to playing Christie admits he was never the same player and he was released when his contract expired in the summer of 2007. He eventually landed a trial at Hull City but they passed up the chance to sign him.
Looking back on those tough times, he admits: "I came to resent football for years. I couldn't watch it because of the memories of what I could've done and what I could've achieved. I wasn't able to face it. I put my tin hat on and shut myself away. I'd gone from playing in front of 70,000 fans to not wanting to leave the house."
He would eventually earn a contract with Leeds United, although the deal was heavily delayed after Christie broke his back during a routine training session. But after initially starring under Gary McAllister, he then found himself out of the picture when Simon Grayson replaced him in the dugout.
Christie would play just three times under him before calling it a day. Speaking of his decision to quit, he said: "That was the moment I knew I was done with football. My first injury was in November 2003, that's a bloody long time to go through the torture of rejection after rejection, hurt after hurt, setback after setback.
"I often wonder what if the first injury finished me off. I might have got on with the rest of my life better than I did."
