Dean Ashton – Sad news for the player, his club and England

I was really sad to read that West Ham and England’s Dean Ashton has had to retire from the game at the age of just twenty-six.

Recovered

The striker broke his left ankle back in August 2006 whilst training with England prior to a friendly against Greece. He has never fully recovered from that injury.

He has undertaken several operations in a bid to get fit enough to return to the game but was unable to return to full fitness and has now followed medical advice to retire.

West Ham’s chief executive Scott Duxbury said on the club website,

“This is a sad day and our thoughts are with Dean. I would like to place on record our thanks to him for all his efforts and wish him the very best. I would also like to thank the fans for their patience and understanding during what has been a difficult time.”

Dean Ashton was making a name for himself as a striker with an eye for goal but also with that cleverness that is often seen in players playing just off the main striker. He had great vision and had the potential to become another Teddy Sheringham who had such a long and successful club and international career.

Prominence

Ashton came to prominence at Crewe where he scored sixty-one league goals in one hundred and fifty-nine games. He earned his league debut at the age of sixteen under the legend that is Dario Gradi.

His talent and potential led to him moving to Norwich where seventeen goals in forty-four games confirmed his ability at the top level.

FA Cup final

West Ham paid Norwich £7.25 million for his services in January 2006. In all, Ashton scored nineteen goals for the Hammers, including one in the FA Cup final, in fifty-six appearances.

After he broke that ankle in August 2006 he missed the entire following season. He returned in 2007 where he played thirty-five games and caught Fabio Capello’s eye enough to make his England debut against Trinidad and Tobago in June 2008.

Sadly

In September that year Ashton sprained the same ankle in training again and has not played again competitively since then. He has tried to return on a few occasions but has now sadly accepted that he will never play again.

Dario Gradi said that Ashton was a huge loss to the game and to England, but also tried to be positive,

“The saving grace for Dean is that he has had a bit of a career and will have made enough money not to have to work again.”

The original broken ankle happened in a tackle by Shaun Wright-Phillips and some reports are suggesting that Ashton may be looking to take legal action against him.

PFA boss Gordon Taylor doesn’t think that is likely.

“I hope it doesn’t come to that because nobody would think that Shaun Wright-Phillips was a malicious player at all. At the moment we’ve been speaking to Dean Ashton’s representatives and the situation is about looking to get proper compensation without discussing any player against player action.”

Dean Ashton was a real talent. He could play as a target man, off the main striker or on his own up front. Had he stayed fit and in form he would almost certainly have been looking forward to a trip to South Africa next summer. It is a real shame that it has all had to come to an end for him.

Everyone at SoccerNews wishes Dean the very best for whatever his future may bring.