Former Wolves forward Sylvan Ebanks-Blake has won his case against a top surgeon who he claimed performed an ‘unnecessary operation’ which derailed his Premier League career.
The striker, 39, had surgery after enduring a lower leg fracture in 2013 and failed to recover fully from the operation, drifting down the football pyramid until his retirement in 2019.
Ebanks-Blake, who played for eight clubs in six years as he continued to battle with injury setbacks, sued his then surgeon, Professor James Calder, for more than £7m in damages – accusing him of performing ‘destructive’ surgery and ultimately ending his top-flight career. The level of compensation will be decided at a later trial.
Following a trial which took place in London earlier this year, the High Court ruled on Thursday that the surgery, known as arthroscopy, did contribute to the downfall of Ebanks-Blake’s health and career.
‘I am satisfied on balance that, but for the arthroscopy, the claimant would have returned to his pre-accident pain-free state,’ Mrs Justice Lambert said.
She continued by ruling that it was ‘neither reasonable or logical’ to performing the operation on a patient who had been ‘pain free’.
Former Wolves forward Sylvan Ebanks-Blake has won a court battle after claiming his Premier League career was ruined by a surgeon who performed an ‘unnecessary operation’
The top-flight striker, 39, had surgery after enduring a lower leg fracture in 2013
Ebanks-Blake sued leading surgeon Professor James Calder (above) in a £7million court battle
The striker helped steer Wolves to the Premier League in 2008-09, winning the Championship
Leading surgeon Calder, having removed cartilage from the forward’s ankle, performed a ‘microfracture’ procedure in the bone.
Calder, who denied the claims made by Ebanks-Blake, said that the treatment, if anything, prolonged the footballer’s playing career rather than ruined it.
But the striker’s lawyers urged that ‘stiffness and reduction of movement’ had occurred in his left ankle after he went under the knife, causing him to continue suffering with pain. The player was also regularly required to take steroid injections after the surgery.
Speaking on his client’s eventual retirement, Ebanks-Blake’s barrister Simeon Maskrey KC said: ‘His decision to stop was the result of the continuing pain and stiffness in the left ankle joint and not because of the fracture.’
Ebanks-Blake’s solicitor, Andrew Benzeval, said: ‘We are pleased with today’s decision, the case can now proceed to a quantum trial.
‘Our goal is to help our client move on with his life beyond this injury. Our client requests privacy at this time.’
Ebanks-Blake began his career as a product of Manchester United’s esteemed youth academy, despite failing to register a single senior appearance for the club.
After a brief loan spell with Royal Antwerp, he enjoyed a two-year stint at Plymouth Argyle before joining Wolves in 2008.
During his time at Molineux, Ebanks-Blake was called up to the England’s U21s and made one youth cap for the Young Lions, while impressing at his domestic side.
He helped steer Wolves to Premier League promotion in 2008-9, winning the Championship during his first season at the club.
