Former Super Eagles defender, Eric Ejiofor has revealed that he was forced to retire from football due to the continuous injury crisis that he alleged resulted in strange circumstances.
Ejiofor, who was a dependable defender during his time with Enyimba in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) and also was the only home-based player selected by late Amodu Shaibu at the 2002 Africa Cup of Nations, stated this during an interview with Brila.net.
He recounted how he finished training with his Greek club, Enosis Neon Paralimni without sustaining an injury and went straight to his locker room only to begin feeling pains in his knees.
Ejiofor stated that all attempts to surgically correct the problem proved abortive as he was left to hang his boot.
‘It was like any other day, we had just finished training, everybody packed their stuffs and we kept them in the locker room. It was the eve of a league game.
‘At this point, I wasn’t thinking of retirement because I was close to signing a new deal with my club, Enosis Neon Paralimni.
‘I remember we all returned on matchday and my boots were missing. It was strange because everyone else found theirs cleaned and packed where it should be, but mine wasn’t,’ said the former Enyimba man.
‘There were West Africans and Southern Africans in the team, but I won’t think for once that any one of them would have such intentions.
‘All I know is, during the game I didn’t suffer any injury, but after the game I started feeling pains in my knees,’ he recalls.
‘I had several appointments with the club doctor. My knees will swell so bad that it required the doctors to drain the liquid from it with injections, and series of MRI tests done found nothing wrong.’
‘This situation worried me a lot and finally, we agreed I’ll have a surgery in my knee for a meniscus repair. Cartilages were removed and that was the end of my career.
‘I would be in extreme pains and couldn’t get even walk properly, it forced me to retire.
‘That remains my biggest regret till date, that I was forced to leave the game and not on my own terms.’
Ejiofor stated that all attempts to surgically correct the problem proved abortive as he was left to hang his boot.
‘It was like any other day, we had just finished training, everybody packed their stuffs and we kept them in the locker room. It was the eve of a league game.
‘At this point, I wasn’t thinking of retirement because I was close to signing a new deal with my club, Enosis Neon Paralimni.
‘I remember we all returned on matchday and my boots were missing. It was strange because everyone else found theirs cleaned and packed where it should be, but mine wasn’t,’ said the former Enyimba man.
‘There were West Africans and Southern Africans in the team, but I won’t think for once that any one of them would have such intentions.
‘All I know is, during the game I didn’t suffer any injury, but after the game I started feeling pains in my knees,’ he recalls.
‘I had several appointments with the club doctor. My knees will swell so bad that it required the doctors to drain the liquid from it with injections, and series of MRI tests done found nothing wrong.’
‘This situation worried me a lot and finally, we agreed I’ll have a surgery in my knee for a meniscus repair. Cartilages were removed and that was the end of my career.
‘I would be in extreme pains and couldn’t get even walk properly, it forced me to retire.
‘That remains my biggest regret till date, that I was forced to leave the game and not on my own terms.’
By Augustine Akhilomen
COMMENTS
Hehehehehehe. Abi nah village people things? They say their network strong, whether nah 7G sef. Myth or fact? Lolz.
I myself face this problem when i was playing for starlet football club in lagos and so many scort came to watch our league, at a point i started breathing slow, cant run like i use to, i told my captain that i cant breath, he advise me to continue that alot of scort came to watch us, i continue and i wanted to fall down becos i cant breath. i rise my hand up that i cant continue and thats the end. as an Africa man, if you want to play football, you must fortify yourself well spiritual and physically.
ejiofor wen u notice that your boot was missing and the problem kept on repeating itself if i where you then what you would have down get your ass to nigeria carry ur bags and go to d forest or mountain and engage in 37days of fasting and prayer what u actually need is spiritual fortification between you and GOD THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE THEN VISIT ORPHANAGE AND MOTHERLESS BABY HOME WITH GIFT THAT WILL MOVE HAEAVEN TO INTERCEDE FOR U THEN LET THOSE CHILDREN PRAY TO YOU watever they must have done spirirtual to destroy your carrier wheter is from your follow africa OR VILLAGE PPL will be terminated BUT NO ONE TO DIRECT U