FATHER'S PAIN
Jamie Carragher reveals pro footballer son’s injury hell left him in ‘dark place’ that he ‘wouldn’t wish on worst enemy’
James' injuries could have threatened his career
JAMIE CARRAGHER has revealed that he was in a "dark place" after his son's injury hell.
The retired Liverpool star enjoyed a 17-year career in which he suffered some serious injuries.
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Carragher, 46, did manage to avoid suffering niggling injuries and muscular problems.
His son James has not been as lucky as he has had to deal with a reoccurring knee issue.
The injury has threatened to end the 21-year-old defender's career.
He is currently contracted to League One outfit Wigan and spent time on loan at Scottish side Inverness Caledonian Thistle for the end of last season.
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Carragher admitted that James' injuries affected both of their mental health.
He said on : "12 months ago I was in a dark place over my son's injuries. I wouldn't wish that on my own enemy.
"I didn't get injured [as a player]. I'll be honest, my mentality with injuries, even when I was at Liverpool. I'd go in the treatment room and see people on the bed and think 'they're faking it, they're not tough enough', because I didn't get injured, I didn't understand how people got injured.
"Now I had a broken leg, I had a knee operation, but in terms of hamstrings, calves or something not feeling right, I would always play through things, that's just the way I was brought up.
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"I would dismiss people for it because I couldn't understand, but then my own son went through it.
"He had a knee problem on the back of Covid - so Covid came in so no one could go to the training ground, so I said 'you'll have to do a bit of training on your own because we don't know when you'll go back'.
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"One-on-one coaching and his knee blows up, but everything was closed, you couldn't get an operation or go to physio, nothing.
"His knee would keep swelling up and swelling up.
"It went on for a couple of years, and he had the operation and I'm thinking he'll be back now.
"He'd been playing on with it, taking anti-inflammatories, played non-league at Oldham.
"He then got a knock on the knee so we said let's get the operation.
"He then starts pre-season, I go on holiday, and as soon as he phones me - it was a big day, his first day back with the group - I knew already, my stomach dropped. As soon as I got that phone call I booked a flight that night, I knew he couldn't be at home on his own.
"Seeing him and what we did to get to the bottom of the issue last summer, I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy.
"I was thinking 'Is he going to play again?' I remember on the flight home I made a list of things that me and him could do together if he couldn't play again, I was thinking I've got to keep him going, because mentally... I knew where I was, but what about him?
"For me it was probably one of the darkest moments of my life."
James spent much of his youth career at Liverpool before moving to Wigan in 2017.
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While his father, spent his whole career at the Reds, making 737 appearances in all competitions.
He won one Champions League title, a Uefa Cup, three League Cups and two FA Cups.
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