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<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=629 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3><DIV class=mxb><DIV class=sh>King's road to recovery </DIV></DIV></TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=416>
<DIV class=mvb><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=416 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=bottom><DIV class=mvb><SPAN class=byl>By Jonathan Stevenson </SPAN></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
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"To have everything you have worked for taken away from you is difficult to come to terms with. But I will keep working hard and keep positive and I know my chance will come again."
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<DIV class=cap>King cost Watford £500,000 from Nottingham Forest in 2005</DIV></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
If only every footballer who had suffered such a devastating injury had the same attitude as Marlon King.
The 26-year-old striker spent eight years hovering around the lower divisions, until a move to Watford re-ignited his career and propelled him into the promised land of the Premiership.
Just eight games and two goals in, King went to hospital for what he thought was a routine operation on his right knee.
When he woke up, the doctors told him to forget about playing again this season.
The Jamaican international talks BBC Sport through his injury nightmare and explains what part he has had to play in the Hornets' fight to hold on to their Premiership status.
<DIV class=ch1>THE INJURY</DIV>
It was different I guess because it was caused by wear and tear, not one specific incident. It was after we lost at Arsenal I realised I needed something to be done.
There was no sudden impact, it was just that my knee was being battered around a bit. I was feeling niggles but taking painkillers, but after Arsenal it blew up and we went to see the doctor.
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=208 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=5>
</TD><TD class=sibtbgf><DIV class=sihf>MARLON KING FACTFILE </DIV><DIV class=mva><DIV class=bull>Born: 26 April, 1980, Dulwich</DIV><DIV class=bull>Clubs: Barnet (60 apps/14 goals), Gillingham (116/47), Nottm For (57/15), Leeds (loan, 9/0), Watford (53/24)</DIV><DIV class=bull>International: Jamaica (12 caps/six goals)</DIV></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
They scanned it and couldn't see anything so I let it settle down and started training again, but when it blew up again the surgeon decided to open it up and see what was going on in there.
He went in with a camera and moved a bit of tissue and there was more tissue flapping away and he had to cut that and then drill holes into the side of my knee to make it bleed, so when it forms back into tissue it goes back to normal.
It was a hell of a shock, because when I woke up from the operation I thought they tell me I'd be out for six weeks or so, not six months. I was taken aback, to say the least.
I'd say it was the most disappointing thing that's happened to me in football, but you have to stay positive and get on with it.
I thought to myself, 'it's not like he telling me I've got cancer or AIDS', you know, some people get much worse news - it's always been repairable and I've always been positive.
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<DIV class=ch1>THE ROAD TO RECOVERY</DIV>
<IMG height=12 alt="" hspace=2 src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/
<DIV class=mvb><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=416 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=bottom><DIV class=mvb><SPAN class=byl>By Jonathan Stevenson </SPAN></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
</DIV>
"To have everything you have worked for taken away from you is difficult to come to terms with. But I will keep working hard and keep positive and I know my chance will come again."
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=203 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><DIV>
<DIV class=cap>King cost Watford £500,000 from Nottingham Forest in 2005</DIV></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>If only every footballer who had suffered such a devastating injury had the same attitude as Marlon King.
The 26-year-old striker spent eight years hovering around the lower divisions, until a move to Watford re-ignited his career and propelled him into the promised land of the Premiership.
Just eight games and two goals in, King went to hospital for what he thought was a routine operation on his right knee.
When he woke up, the doctors told him to forget about playing again this season.
The Jamaican international talks BBC Sport through his injury nightmare and explains what part he has had to play in the Hornets' fight to hold on to their Premiership status.
<DIV class=ch1>THE INJURY</DIV>
It was different I guess because it was caused by wear and tear, not one specific incident. It was after we lost at Arsenal I realised I needed something to be done. There was no sudden impact, it was just that my knee was being battered around a bit. I was feeling niggles but taking painkillers, but after Arsenal it blew up and we went to see the doctor.
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=208 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=5>
</TD><TD class=sibtbgf><DIV class=sihf>MARLON KING FACTFILE </DIV><DIV class=mva><DIV class=bull>Born: 26 April, 1980, Dulwich</DIV><DIV class=bull>Clubs: Barnet (60 apps/14 goals), Gillingham (116/47), Nottm For (57/15), Leeds (loan, 9/0), Watford (53/24)</DIV><DIV class=bull>International: Jamaica (12 caps/six goals)</DIV></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>They scanned it and couldn't see anything so I let it settle down and started training again, but when it blew up again the surgeon decided to open it up and see what was going on in there.
He went in with a camera and moved a bit of tissue and there was more tissue flapping away and he had to cut that and then drill holes into the side of my knee to make it bleed, so when it forms back into tissue it goes back to normal.
It was a hell of a shock, because when I woke up from the operation I thought they tell me I'd be out for six weeks or so, not six months. I was taken aback, to say the least.
I'd say it was the most disappointing thing that's happened to me in football, but you have to stay positive and get on with it.
I thought to myself, 'it's not like he telling me I've got cancer or AIDS', you know, some people get much worse news - it's always been repairable and I've always been positive.
<BR clear=all><DIV class=ch1>THE ROAD TO RECOVERY</DIV>
<IMG height=12 alt="" hspace=2 src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/
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