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The fourth instalment of the series looking at players whose careers were ruined by injuries.
For Part One, please click here; for Part Two, please click here; and Part Three please click here.
Jack Wilshere
Jack Wilshere is still playing, and theoretically, could still go on to enjoy a major career in the game.
But realistically he has unlikely ever to realise the huge potential he showed as a youngster when breaking through at Arsenal.
It is hard to pinpoint exactly when his injury problems began, so often and so prolonged were his setbacks. For example, what appeared to be q minor knock In a pre-season friendly with NY Red Bulls was the prelude to almost a year out of the game.
Every time he got himself fit again, there would be another problem that would send him back to the treatment table before he could put a run of games together.
He played 34 times for England and would probably have more than twice that numb er caps had he stayed fit.
Wilshere was sent on loan to Bournemouth, but failed to convince Gunners bosses he was fit enough to be offered a new contract. He joined West Ham but injury again ruled him out of action, and when he was fit again, manager David moyes no longer trusted him enough to risk him in his team.
Last season he played for Bournemouth again, although his appearances were once again limited by injury.
He is currently a free agent.
Ryan Mason
Although Mason briefly made the headlines when he was promoted to become Spurs’ caretaker coach after Jose Mourinho was dismissed last April, it is as a player with the club that he first made his name, forcing his way into the England team, before he was bought by Hull City for a club record fee.
However, his laying career came to a sudden and premature end during a Premier League match against Chelsea in January 2017. Contesting a corner with Chelsea defender Gary Cahill the pair clashed heads, and Mason was left in a crumpled heap on the pitch, whilst medics rushed on to help him.
He suffered a fractured skull in the incident, and underwent surgery, during which 14 metal plates were inserted in hs skull and 45 staples to hold them in place. He spent months in rehabilitation only to be told that the risks associated with hs injury meant it was too dangerous for him to continue playing.
Julian Nagelsmann
Although Nagelsmann, who has just taken over at Bayern Munich, has established a reputation as one of the brightest young coaches in Europe, when he was younger, he had dreams of a successful career as a player.
He played for Augsburg and 1860 Munich at youth level and was regarded as a promising centre-back. However, his career was blighted by injury and, after injuring his knee and meniscus for a second time and damaging his cartilage, he decided, on medical advice, to end his playing career and turn to coaching instead.
Andy is an exiled English football fan living in Cyprus. He loves all sports but football is his abiding passion, and he still has dreams every now and then about scoring the winning goal in a Wembley Cup Final, even though his playing days are long gone. He follows most major leagues, across Europe at least, and has a favoured team in each. When he’s not watching, listening, reading or downloading podcasts about football, he spend his time worrying about his beloved Arsenal.