The Indie:
Former West Brom midfielder Michael Appleton was awarded £1.5 million today after suing a surgeon for ruining his career.
The 31-year-old claimed for loss of earnings after unnecessary knee surgery ended his Premiership hopes.
A high court judge in Manchester awarded the compensation - thought to be one of biggest pay-outs to a British footballer - after surgeon Mr Medhat El-Safty admitted he should not have operated.
At the hearing in January to decide the level of damages, Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson and two of his top players, Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville, told the court Appleton had great potential as a footballer.
The midfielder injured his right posterior cruciate ligament during training in November 2001 - the season before West Brom was promoted to the Premiership.
He failed to recover from the subsequent surgery and was finally forced to retire from the game in 2003.
Appleton said today: "I am relieved finally to have received judgment and to be able to put this chapter of my life behind me and move on."
Expert witnesses told Mr Justice Christopher Clarke that Appleton could have earned more than £500,000 a year had he recovered and played as a top-flight footballer.
The court heard Appleton's career would have probably lasted until 2009.
His solicitor Chris Pugh said: "It is a measure of Michael's standing in the game that so many leading figures in football were eager to come and give evidence on his behalf."
Appleton is now the assistant academy manager at West Brom.
"Having had my playing career taken away from me prematurely, I am all the more determined now to make a success of my coaching career, and I hope to have the opportunity to move into football management."