Injuries might be part and parcel of a footballers life, but that doesn’t mean that they deserve to spend months not being able to work and support themselves or their families, or waiting to be allocated treatment on the NHS.
Sports injuries among footballers are common, whether they’re professional, amateur, or enthusiastic kick-about-ers, and unfortunately, many of them have the potential to wipe out a person’s opportunity to work for weeks, if not months at a time. However, with adequate insurance for football from a trustworthy UK provider, players of the countries much loved sport, can better protect themselves financially.
Below are some of the most common injuries associated with football:
- Concussion
Any contact sport has the potential for concussions to occur, and although football may not have quite such a reputation for violence as sports like rugby and American Football, mildly traumatic brain injury is not uncommon for footballers. In sever cases, a player may take a number of years to heal fully, during which time they may not be able to work to full capacity, if at all.
- Groin strain
Occurring as a direct result of a sudden movement on pitch, or in training, like running, jumping, twisting or kicking quickly while changing direction, groin strains (sometimes referred to as groin pulls) can be incredibly painful and quite debilitating.
- Hamstring injuries
As one of the most common injuries for footballers, these can also occur after a sudden change in direction on pitch or in training, although the majority of hamstring injuries take place when the individual accelerates or deaccelerates with power and intensity. Pulls and tears to the hamstring aren’t as serious as a tear, and can take place when a footballer overstrides, or fails to stretch the tendon adequately before a match or training session. Painful and incredibly debilitating, this particular injury can stop a footballer from playing or training for several weeks or months.
- ACL and PCL injuries
Injuries to the ACL (anterior cruciate ligament), and PCL (posterior cruciate ligament) both found in the knees, are often the most severe of all the injuries a football player can suffer. Twisting or pivoting while running or jumping can cause an ACL injury, while injuries to the PCL typically take place when force of a heavy and direct nature is applied to the front and back of the knee, such as when falling with the knee in a bent position.
- Muscle cramps
While the effects of muscle cramp don’t usually linger for long following treatment, when they do occur, they can prevent a footballer from being able to play, or even move from a to b without excruciating pain. Should a football match go into extra time, this is a prime time for players to experience muscle cramps, as their bodies struggle to cope with the long-lasting and high-intensity period of activity.
- Ankle sprains
Painful in the extreme when they first occur, and often stopping a footballer from playing the sport for a period of weeks or months, ankle strains are a common occurrence, especially when playing on natural surfaces in which their shoes can get caught up in the grass of an uneven pitch.
While some footballing injuries may be worse than others, and recovery periods can vary significantly, without football injury insurance, players run the risk of being sidelined without an opportunity to earn money, for some period of time.
From professional footballers who can’t play in matches, and amateur players who hurt themselves so badly that they can’t fulfil their role at work, to footballers who can’t afford to pay for the cost of their treatment, injuries have the power to wipe out a players potential to earn and recover. Football insurance, however, can give you the peace of mind you need that your earnings will be protected should you be laid off with a sports injury, and that you will be able to meet all of your care and treatment needs.