Latest news with #Ebanks-Blake
Daily Mirror
17-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Ex-Premier League star suing doctor for £7m after 'unnecessary' operation
A former Premier League footballer is suing his surgeon after alleging that his top flight career came to a premature end due to an "unnecessary" and "destructive" operation on his ankle Former Premier League striker Sylan Ebanks-Blake is suing a surgeon for more than £7million after claiming his top flight career was ended by an "unnecessary" operation. Ebanks-Blake broke his leg while playing for Wolves in the Championship back in 2013. And the 39-year-old, who started his career at Manchester United's academy, alleges that his surgeon Prof James Calder performed an "unnecessary" and "destructive" operation on his ankle. Ebanks-Blake believes this caused an early end to his top level career, having been released by Wolves in 2014 and managing just nine appearances in his sole season in the Championship with Ipswich. The player's barrister Simeon Maskrey KC told Mrs Justice Lambert at London's High Court: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Ebanks-Blake also claims that he was not asked for proper consent before the operation on his ankle. However, Prof Calder's lawyers claim that Ebanks-Blake "had an overoptimistic view of his own powers of recovery." The surgeon's barrister Martin Forde KC added: "Far from curtailing the claimant's career, the defendant will argue that his clinical skills prolonged the career of a professional footballer, who had suffered a very serious injury." After leaving Ipswich in 2014, Ebanks-Blake spent the next four years in League One before dropping down to the National League. He ultimately retired in 2019 after playing for non-league side Walsall Wood. Before suffering the initial injury, Ebanks-Blake had enjoyed three seasons in the Premier League with Wolves after helping them win the Championship in 2009. He scored 25 league goals that season and was the top scorer in the Championship. In written submissions, Forde said: "It is arguable that if Professor Calder had done anything other than what he did do, he would have been negligent for not dealing with the loose fragments and unstable cartilage." He continued: "The defendant's position is that through his judgment and skill he prolonged the claimant's career. The claimant's case quite clearly is that his career was curtailed." Ebanks-Blake's lawyers say that the operation caused "stiffness and reduction of movement" in his left ankle and claim that his decision to retire was "the result of the continuing pain and stiffness in the left ankle joint" and not due to another leg fracture he suffered in January 2019. "He was left unable to play football at all without recourse to steroid injections," Maskrey added. "When he did play, the loss of movement and pain hampered his ability to play to his previous standard. "The combination of an inability to play regularly and/or for a reasonable length of time and his reduced standard of play gave rise to transfers from the Premier League to the lower divisions of the English Football League and eventually to non-league clubs. "Following the fracture of the left fibula on the 26th January 2019, the claimant reasonably gave up playing football. He did so not because of the consequences of the fracture, but because of the pain and stiffness in the left ankle joint. "It is probable that without any intervention on the part of the defendant the left ankle joint would eventually have become symptomatic. "However, the symptomology would have been delayed, would probably have been of slow onset and would not have prevented the claimant from continuing to play in the Premier Division and/or the Championship until his mid-30s. "As it is, the claimant can no longer play football. He continues to suffer pain and stiffness in the left ankle. He has developed consequential psychiatric symptoms of depression."
South Wales Guardian
16-07-2025
- Health
- South Wales Guardian
Footballer's career ended prematurely because of unnecessary procedure
Ex-Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, 39, had surgery after he broke his left leg during a match against Birmingham City in April 2013. He alleges that during the operation to fix his leg, the surgeon, Professor James Calder, also performed procedures, which included cleaning out the joint and removing some cartilage, that 'gave rise to inflammation', and sped up the development of osteoarthritis in his ankle. He also says the surgeon failed to properly tell him the risks associated with the procedure. Prof Calder is defending the claims and denies that there was a lack of time for the footballer to weigh up his options. In written submissions, Simeon Maskrey KC, representing Ebanks-Blake, said on Wednesday: 'The onset of symptoms and the development and acceleration of osteoarthritis brought the claimant's footballing career to a premature end.' Mr Maskrey said the footballer had suffered a previous ankle injury and, although this resulted in some 'stiffness', he had learned to adapt and it caused him no pain. He continued: 'The proposed procedure carried with it the significant risk that it would render the ankle symptomatic.' Mr Maskrey also told the court the surgery consent process was 'wholly inadequate', and Ebanks-Blake was given 'no opportunity of considering his options'. He added that had his client been told that 'wait and see' was a reasonable option, which ran the risk of the ankle becoming symptomatic and needing later intervention, 'he would have taken that risk'. Mr Maskrey said it was for the court to decide whether Ebanks-Blake 'was provided with sufficient information to provide informed consent'. Martin Forde KC, representing the surgeon, said in written submissions: 'It is arguable that if Professor Calder had done anything other than what he did do, he would have been negligent for not dealing with the loose fragments and unstable cartilage.' He continued: 'The defendant's position is that through his judgment and skill he prolonged the claimant's career. 'The claimant's case quite clearly is that his career was curtailed.' Mr Forde also told the court that Ebanks-Blake's witness statement is the earliest indication of his 'dissatisfaction', and before this, he had made positive comments about his recovery from injury. He added: 'Far from curtailing the claimant's career, the defendant will argue that his clinical skills prolonged the career of a professional player who suffered a very serious injury.' Mr Forde told the court that after the surgery, Ebanks-Blake continued playing football for a number of years, retiring in 2019. The case before Mrs Justice Lambert is due to conclude on Tuesday July 22.
North Wales Chronicle
16-07-2025
- Health
- North Wales Chronicle
Footballer's career ended prematurely because of unnecessary procedure
Ex-Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, 39, had surgery after he broke his left leg during a match against Birmingham City in April 2013. He alleges that during the operation to fix his leg, the surgeon, Professor James Calder, also performed procedures, which included cleaning out the joint and removing some cartilage, that 'gave rise to inflammation', and sped up the development of osteoarthritis in his ankle. He also says the surgeon failed to properly tell him the risks associated with the procedure. Prof Calder is defending the claims and denies that there was a lack of time for the footballer to weigh up his options. In written submissions, Simeon Maskrey KC, representing Ebanks-Blake, said on Wednesday: 'The onset of symptoms and the development and acceleration of osteoarthritis brought the claimant's footballing career to a premature end.' Mr Maskrey said the footballer had suffered a previous ankle injury and, although this resulted in some 'stiffness', he had learned to adapt and it caused him no pain. He continued: 'The proposed procedure carried with it the significant risk that it would render the ankle symptomatic.' Mr Maskrey also told the court the surgery consent process was 'wholly inadequate', and Ebanks-Blake was given 'no opportunity of considering his options'. He added that had his client been told that 'wait and see' was a reasonable option, which ran the risk of the ankle becoming symptomatic and needing later intervention, 'he would have taken that risk'. Mr Maskrey said it was for the court to decide whether Ebanks-Blake 'was provided with sufficient information to provide informed consent'. Martin Forde KC, representing the surgeon, said in written submissions: 'It is arguable that if Professor Calder had done anything other than what he did do, he would have been negligent for not dealing with the loose fragments and unstable cartilage.' He continued: 'The defendant's position is that through his judgment and skill he prolonged the claimant's career. 'The claimant's case quite clearly is that his career was curtailed.' Mr Forde also told the court that Ebanks-Blake's witness statement is the earliest indication of his 'dissatisfaction', and before this, he had made positive comments about his recovery from injury. He added: 'Far from curtailing the claimant's career, the defendant will argue that his clinical skills prolonged the career of a professional player who suffered a very serious injury.' Mr Forde told the court that after the surgery, Ebanks-Blake continued playing football for a number of years, retiring in 2019. The case before Mrs Justice Lambert is due to conclude on Tuesday July 22.
Glasgow Times
16-07-2025
- Health
- Glasgow Times
Footballer's career ended prematurely because of unnecessary procedure
Ex-Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, 39, had surgery after he broke his left leg during a match against Birmingham City in April 2013. He alleges that during the operation to fix his leg, the surgeon, Professor James Calder, also performed procedures, which included cleaning out the joint and removing some cartilage, that 'gave rise to inflammation', and sped up the development of osteoarthritis in his ankle. He also says the surgeon failed to properly tell him the risks associated with the procedure. Prof Calder is defending the claims and denies that there was a lack of time for the footballer to weigh up his options. In written submissions, Simeon Maskrey KC, representing Ebanks-Blake, said on Wednesday: 'The onset of symptoms and the development and acceleration of osteoarthritis brought the claimant's footballing career to a premature end.' Mr Maskrey said the footballer had suffered a previous ankle injury and, although this resulted in some 'stiffness', he had learned to adapt and it caused him no pain. He continued: 'The proposed procedure carried with it the significant risk that it would render the ankle symptomatic.' Sylvan Ebanks-Blake in action for Wolves against Birmingham City (PA) Mr Maskrey also told the court the surgery consent process was 'wholly inadequate', and Ebanks-Blake was given 'no opportunity of considering his options'. He added that had his client been told that 'wait and see' was a reasonable option, which ran the risk of the ankle becoming symptomatic and needing later intervention, 'he would have taken that risk'. Mr Maskrey said it was for the court to decide whether Ebanks-Blake 'was provided with sufficient information to provide informed consent'. Martin Forde KC, representing the surgeon, said in written submissions: 'It is arguable that if Professor Calder had done anything other than what he did do, he would have been negligent for not dealing with the loose fragments and unstable cartilage.' He continued: 'The defendant's position is that through his judgment and skill he prolonged the claimant's career. 'The claimant's case quite clearly is that his career was curtailed.' Mr Forde also told the court that Ebanks-Blake's witness statement is the earliest indication of his 'dissatisfaction', and before this, he had made positive comments about his recovery from injury. He added: 'Far from curtailing the claimant's career, the defendant will argue that his clinical skills prolonged the career of a professional player who suffered a very serious injury.' Mr Forde told the court that after the surgery, Ebanks-Blake continued playing football for a number of years, retiring in 2019. The case before Mrs Justice Lambert is due to conclude on Tuesday July 22.
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Footballer's career ended prematurely because of unnecessary procedure
A former Premier League footballer's career came to a 'premature end' due to an unnecessary procedure carried out by a leading surgeon, the High Court has been told. Ex-Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, 39, had surgery after he broke his left leg during a match against Birmingham City in April 2013. He alleges that during the operation to fix his leg, the surgeon, Professor James Calder, also performed procedures, which included cleaning out the joint and removing some cartilage, that 'gave rise to inflammation', and sped up the development of osteoarthritis in his ankle. He also says the surgeon failed to properly tell him the risks associated with the procedure. Prof Calder is defending the claims and denies that there was a lack of time for the footballer to weigh up his options. In written submissions, Simeon Maskrey KC, representing Ebanks-Blake, said on Wednesday: 'The onset of symptoms and the development and acceleration of osteoarthritis brought the claimant's footballing career to a premature end.' Mr Maskrey said the footballer had suffered a previous ankle injury and, although this resulted in some 'stiffness', he had learned to adapt and it caused him no pain. He continued: 'The proposed procedure carried with it the significant risk that it would render the ankle symptomatic.' Mr Maskrey also told the court the surgery consent process was 'wholly inadequate', and Ebanks-Blake was given 'no opportunity of considering his options'. He added that had his client been told that 'wait and see' was a reasonable option, which ran the risk of the ankle becoming symptomatic and needing later intervention, 'he would have taken that risk'. Mr Maskrey said it was for the court to decide whether Ebanks-Blake 'was provided with sufficient information to provide informed consent'. Martin Forde KC, representing the surgeon, said in written submissions: 'It is arguable that if Professor Calder had done anything other than what he did do, he would have been negligent for not dealing with the loose fragments and unstable cartilage.' He continued: 'The defendant's position is that through his judgment and skill he prolonged the claimant's career. 'The claimant's case quite clearly is that his career was curtailed.' Mr Forde also told the court that Ebanks-Blake's witness statement is the earliest indication of his 'dissatisfaction', and before this, he had made positive comments about his recovery from injury. He added: 'Far from curtailing the claimant's career, the defendant will argue that his clinical skills prolonged the career of a professional player who suffered a very serious injury.' Mr Forde told the court that after the surgery, Ebanks-Blake continued playing football for a number of years, retiring in 2019. The case before Mrs Justice Lambert is due to conclude on Tuesday July 22.
