The Large One
Who's Next?
McNulty's Agony
By Tim Dudding
Jim McNulty has been speaking for the first time about the horrific kidney injury that could have ended his football career.
The venerable full-back, who suffered the freak collision with Crewe midfielder John Brayford in only his fifth outing after his £150,000 transfer from Stockport, was initially told by doctors he might never play again.
But 11 days after having the kidney removed, McNulty is back at home and has been given the all clear to resume playing once he has fully recovered from the ordeal. McNulty said, "His (Brayford's) body weight was all on his knee and his knee just came down and landed on my kidney. The doctors said it was a freak, one in a million. I was passing blood, so that was worrying. I knew then something wasn't right internally.
"I couldn't move really but I insisted at the time that I walked off. I had been down a couple of times earlier in the game and I thought the fans will think I'm a fairy if I go off on a stretcher! I was on the bed in the hospital after the scan when the surgeon said 90 per cent of the kidney is mush and I don't believe you can play again. I asked him how he was making that call and he used to do a lot of work in Australia with Aussie Rules players. I asked him to ring the club doctor and at least speak to the FA because he hadn't dealt much with footballers.
"In the end it was fine and he has revised his opinion. He spoke with the FA quite extensively."
McNulty has lost a stone in weight since the operation, but he is in good spirits as he begins his gradual recovery and is determined to get back into action as quickly as he can.
"I did find it painful waking up and stuff in the first couple of days but they told me basically the quicker I got on my feet the quicker the pain would subside," he said. "They have given me painkillers but I try not to take them. I just take one before I sleep. I have totally got my appetite back. Before the operation my body fat was only 7.9 per cent, which is super low, so everything I have lost is pure muscle, the majority of it from my legs. It is when I start working that I will gain that weight again."
By Tim Dudding
Jim McNulty has been speaking for the first time about the horrific kidney injury that could have ended his football career.
The venerable full-back, who suffered the freak collision with Crewe midfielder John Brayford in only his fifth outing after his £150,000 transfer from Stockport, was initially told by doctors he might never play again.
But 11 days after having the kidney removed, McNulty is back at home and has been given the all clear to resume playing once he has fully recovered from the ordeal. McNulty said, "His (Brayford's) body weight was all on his knee and his knee just came down and landed on my kidney. The doctors said it was a freak, one in a million. I was passing blood, so that was worrying. I knew then something wasn't right internally.
"I couldn't move really but I insisted at the time that I walked off. I had been down a couple of times earlier in the game and I thought the fans will think I'm a fairy if I go off on a stretcher! I was on the bed in the hospital after the scan when the surgeon said 90 per cent of the kidney is mush and I don't believe you can play again. I asked him how he was making that call and he used to do a lot of work in Australia with Aussie Rules players. I asked him to ring the club doctor and at least speak to the FA because he hadn't dealt much with footballers.
"In the end it was fine and he has revised his opinion. He spoke with the FA quite extensively."
McNulty has lost a stone in weight since the operation, but he is in good spirits as he begins his gradual recovery and is determined to get back into action as quickly as he can.
"I did find it painful waking up and stuff in the first couple of days but they told me basically the quicker I got on my feet the quicker the pain would subside," he said. "They have given me painkillers but I try not to take them. I just take one before I sleep. I have totally got my appetite back. Before the operation my body fat was only 7.9 per cent, which is super low, so everything I have lost is pure muscle, the majority of it from my legs. It is when I start working that I will gain that weight again."
