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published: Tuesday | August 7, 2007
Nodley Wright, [COLOR=black! important][COLOR=black! important]Freelance [COLOR=black! important]Writer[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR]
Ralph
National footballer Damani Ralph was never one to shy away from a challenge on or off the [COLOR=black! important][COLOR=black! important]football[/COLOR][/COLOR] field. But after sidestepping a few he could now be up against the biggest challenge of his life - saving his football career.
The 26-year-old has not played competitively since December of 2005 and two operations since have not put him in better stead to take the field.
"Right now I am facing a third [COLOR=black! important][COLOR=black! important]surgery[/COLOR][/COLOR] on my knee and if this fails I will basically have to seek another career," Ralph, a former St. George's College standout told The Gleaner over the weekend.
The strong-running forward who was named the Major League Soccer (MLS) rookie of the year in 2003 after scoring 11 goals, had the first surgery on his knee in February 2006 to clean out and repair damaged cartilage. That surgery was not a success and was followed by another in September of the same year but still he has had no luck.
"Following the second surgery in Switzerland, I did about six to seven months of rehabilitation. I tried to play again a couple of months ago but I was still restricted in my movements and feeling pain," Ralph explained.
Soon after that he made another attempt but again the pain was constant, he could not run fast and had difficulties training. At that point he said he requested to see another doctor in the United States and was granted his wish.
Third surgery planned
"Close to a month ago I did an MRI and the doctor said there was still damage to the cartilage and a third surgery was planned which was supposed to be a cartilage graft. When the doctor started and looked at the size of the hole, he closed it back up and referred me to a specialist who deals with the growth and repair of cartilage in the knee," said the six-footer.
Already, he has met with this new specialist and is confident that if any doctor can fix his problem, this is the man.
"Based on the meeting that I have had with this specialist, Dr. Tim Minas, I feel confident that I have the right person looking after me. This surgery is something that has to be done and more serious than I thought. It is one of the most serious knee injuries that a player could have.
"I am confident because this last procedure I believe is most suitable for the kind of [COLOR=black! important][COLOR=black! important]injury[/COLOR][/COLOR] that I have. This last procedure is called ACI or autologous chondrocyte implanata-tion and would involve artificially regrowing the cartilage and implanting in the knee as the cartilage does not grow back," said Ralph, whose contract with Russian club Rubin Kazan, to which he signed in March 1995, expires in December.
With the expiration of his contract and the fact that rehabilitation for his latest surgery will take about a year, Ralph could find himself in the football wilderness for quite a while.
Rubin Kazan is unlikely to offer a new contract and no new club is expected to express an interest until he proves his fitness.
"It is very depressing and hard when your dreams are snatched from beneath you but it is not over until the fat lady sings and no doctor has told me yet that I will not play again," a defiant Ralph said.
"It has been rough but through the support of my family, girlfriend and friends, I keep positive. I also trust in the Father a whole lot. Those are the things that help me to cope and I do not watch a whole lot of football because that would make me depressed. I have had my depressing days though," he added.
The extended layoff will mean that Jamaica's 2010 World Cup qualifiers will have to, at least, begin without Ralph.
"I should be pretty much out for all of 2008. During that time I do not think I will be of much use to anybody but there is always after that.
"A whole lot of people have had serious knee injuries and have come back. Ole Gunnar Solskaer was out for about three years and he came back for Manchester United. I am not prepared to give up and people like Ricky (Ricardo Gardner) have gone through a whole lot and he has come back. It is not impossible, so I am always optimistic," he said.
If he is unable to play again he will be prepared for that too. "I have insurance and life does not end with football. In the time that I have, I do a lot of reading and soul-searching, thinking of venturing into other things like investments and so forth and besides I have not been a fool with my earnings," stated Ralph, who added that he could use the additional year to continue his studies.
Nodley Wright, [COLOR=black! important][COLOR=black! important]Freelance [COLOR=black! important]Writer[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR]
Ralph
National footballer Damani Ralph was never one to shy away from a challenge on or off the [COLOR=black! important][COLOR=black! important]football[/COLOR][/COLOR] field. But after sidestepping a few he could now be up against the biggest challenge of his life - saving his football career.
The 26-year-old has not played competitively since December of 2005 and two operations since have not put him in better stead to take the field.
"Right now I am facing a third [COLOR=black! important][COLOR=black! important]surgery[/COLOR][/COLOR] on my knee and if this fails I will basically have to seek another career," Ralph, a former St. George's College standout told The Gleaner over the weekend.
The strong-running forward who was named the Major League Soccer (MLS) rookie of the year in 2003 after scoring 11 goals, had the first surgery on his knee in February 2006 to clean out and repair damaged cartilage. That surgery was not a success and was followed by another in September of the same year but still he has had no luck.
"Following the second surgery in Switzerland, I did about six to seven months of rehabilitation. I tried to play again a couple of months ago but I was still restricted in my movements and feeling pain," Ralph explained.
Soon after that he made another attempt but again the pain was constant, he could not run fast and had difficulties training. At that point he said he requested to see another doctor in the United States and was granted his wish.
Third surgery planned
"Close to a month ago I did an MRI and the doctor said there was still damage to the cartilage and a third surgery was planned which was supposed to be a cartilage graft. When the doctor started and looked at the size of the hole, he closed it back up and referred me to a specialist who deals with the growth and repair of cartilage in the knee," said the six-footer.
Already, he has met with this new specialist and is confident that if any doctor can fix his problem, this is the man.
"Based on the meeting that I have had with this specialist, Dr. Tim Minas, I feel confident that I have the right person looking after me. This surgery is something that has to be done and more serious than I thought. It is one of the most serious knee injuries that a player could have.
"I am confident because this last procedure I believe is most suitable for the kind of [COLOR=black! important][COLOR=black! important]injury[/COLOR][/COLOR] that I have. This last procedure is called ACI or autologous chondrocyte implanata-tion and would involve artificially regrowing the cartilage and implanting in the knee as the cartilage does not grow back," said Ralph, whose contract with Russian club Rubin Kazan, to which he signed in March 1995, expires in December.
With the expiration of his contract and the fact that rehabilitation for his latest surgery will take about a year, Ralph could find himself in the football wilderness for quite a while.
Rubin Kazan is unlikely to offer a new contract and no new club is expected to express an interest until he proves his fitness.
"It is very depressing and hard when your dreams are snatched from beneath you but it is not over until the fat lady sings and no doctor has told me yet that I will not play again," a defiant Ralph said.
"It has been rough but through the support of my family, girlfriend and friends, I keep positive. I also trust in the Father a whole lot. Those are the things that help me to cope and I do not watch a whole lot of football because that would make me depressed. I have had my depressing days though," he added.
The extended layoff will mean that Jamaica's 2010 World Cup qualifiers will have to, at least, begin without Ralph.
"I should be pretty much out for all of 2008. During that time I do not think I will be of much use to anybody but there is always after that.
"A whole lot of people have had serious knee injuries and have come back. Ole Gunnar Solskaer was out for about three years and he came back for Manchester United. I am not prepared to give up and people like Ricky (Ricardo Gardner) have gone through a whole lot and he has come back. It is not impossible, so I am always optimistic," he said.
If he is unable to play again he will be prepared for that too. "I have insurance and life does not end with football. In the time that I have, I do a lot of reading and soul-searching, thinking of venturing into other things like investments and so forth and besides I have not been a fool with my earnings," stated Ralph, who added that he could use the additional year to continue his studies.
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