I was pressured to play. Once the painkillers wore off, the game was ... AGONY
MATTY FRYATT REVEALS WHY HE TOOK FOREST TO COURT OVER R ACHILLES INJURY RY THAT ENDED HIS CAREER
MATTY FRYATT is here to explain why he took legal action against Nottingham Forest. Why he accused his former club of negligence and pressurising him into playing on through the agony of an achilles injury that was deliberately left untreated and ended his career.
And to explain why Forest agreed to pay him an out-of-court six-figure sum.
‘I want to be heard,’ says Fryatt, taking a break from homeschooling to reveal to Sportsmail the details behind the heartbreaking end to his playing career. ‘ I want people to be aware. Players shouldn’t have to go through this.
‘My case has highlighted the significance of safety in sport for players and it’s a positive step forward for the future of player welfare. My experience needs to be turned into a valuable lesson for players and clubs to understand the importance of duty of care, communication and understanding between both parties.
‘Players deserve to have the implications of their injuries and continuing to play outlined to them. The impact an injury has on you mentally can be just as damaging as the injury itself. It is time that clubs recognised this.’
Fryatt played 189 games for Leicester and 94 for Hull before he joined Forest. He scored in every division, from League Two to the Premier League, and featured in an FA Cup final for Hull in 2014, losing against Arsenal in extra time. And yet his final appearance as a footballer was in 2015, at the age of just 28.
Legal documents seen by Sportsmail reveal how Fryatt — now 34 — suffered physically and mentally. They say Forest failed to provide proper treatment or track his progress and, most significantly, put pressure on him to train and play despite ‘knowing that he was injured’.
Forest settled out of court in December for a six-figure sum and also covered both sides’ legal fees. The club declined to comment for this interview. The settlement is not an admission of liability, but with no confidentiality clause inserted, Fryatt says it is his duty to speak up.
‘I wouldn’t want other players to not know the consequences,’ Fryatt adds. ‘It was never outlined to me, or even considered. There should be options, discussions, understanding.
‘I’ll stress this: I wouldn’t want anyone else to go through what I’ve been through. Although I will never recover physically, the journey to recover mentally has been challenging, trying to accept my career was lost. Without open discussions, this will go on.’
Fryatt’s injury hell occurred under the regime of former Forest owner Fawaz Al Hasawi. It started with an appearance against Birmingham in November 2014 in which he first felt pain in his left achilles. Following that match, while his Forest team-mates flew to Amsterdam for their Christmas party, Fryatt stayed at home.
He could not complete training sessions the following week. Despite his discomfort, he was advised he would be ‘fine’ and selected to start against Charlton.
‘I honestly felt I was pressured to play because the other forwards at the club were suspended or injured and they didn’t have another viable option,’ Fryatt says. ‘Once the painkillers wore off, the game was pure agony for me.’
It is emphasised in legal documents that Fryatt’s medical records did not reflect his true state. One entry said he got through that Charlton game ‘with no problems at all’.
‘I struggle to find a reason in my mind as to why this was stated when two days after the game I was sent for a scan,’ he recalls. The fact that Fryatt could not complete a pre-match warm-up in their following fixture was not documented at all. Manager Stuart Pearce was under pressure at the time. Fryatt says he was told he was needed despite his reservations about his injury.
‘ Boxing Day, Middlesbrough away, I cost the team a goal,’ he continues.
‘I was on the near post and was unable to elevate myself enough to head the ball clear. With no spring in my step, I couldn’t jump, so it went over my head and into the top corner.
‘The club weren’t listening. I’d come off the pitch Battling on: Fryatt
at Forest in 2014 thinking, “I don’t want to ever play again in this state”. ‘ You’re putting yourself up against players who are fit. They’re going into games in good physical condition. I was going into matches at 10, 15 per cent. ‘As a professional it’s soul-destroying to have to put yourself out there with the feeling you’re letting your team down, while also enduring the physical pain. ‘In the end, it cost me my career by playing on with an injury for several months without the club showing any care for my concerns, nor me receiving any treatment or recovery programmes.’ Still only 34, had none of this occurred, Fryatt believes he would still be scoring goals for a living. Now he is a part-time Midlands first-team scout for Championship side Cardiff City and is in the final stages of completing his UEFA A coaching licence. ‘I’m still passionate about having so much to offer the game,’ Fryatt says. ‘My playing career was taken early from me, but there’s still this burning desire within me to help in some capacity — whether that’s coaching, support or just to be that voice to have spoken out for the players.’ Fryatt’s solicitor is Barrington Atkins, a sports disputes lawyer from the UK’s largest litigation- only law firm Stewarts. He told Sportsmail: ‘Matt is speaking out on behalf of other players pressured to play while injured. Clearly, more needs to be done for safety in sports and player welfare. ‘ Losing his football career has been devastating for Matt and his family. Negotiati n g a financial settlement with the club is only part of the process. The next step is to help Matt pursue a new career and rebuild his life after football.’ Fryatt finishes by reflecting on a playing career which ended prematurely but looking to the future with optimism. ‘I’ve come to terms with the fact I will never play professionally again,’ Fryatt explains. ‘It has been difficult to get to that point. ‘I still feel I’ve got loads to offer the game. I know I have got so much to give back. ‘The biggest thing is that I want to be heard. Players should not have to go through what I’ve been through.’