bluenose
Mar 21 2002, 07:32 AM
Blues fans are honouring former star David Langan tonight, after injury ruined the Irish international defender's career in 1993. Now 43, right-back Langan is registered disabled after being forced to retire from the game following a serious of operations on his knees and back.
He was advised to give up playing in 1993, when the experts warned him he could end up in a wheelchair if he did not. The father of two, who was capped 26 times by the Republic of Ireland, has managed to find a job through the 'disabled back to work' programme. "Not being able to play again took a long time to come to terms with," he said. "I think I probably pushed my body too hard, but now I just want to put it all behind me."
Langan played 92 games for The Blues in the early 1980s, before moving on to Oxford, and he also had spells with Derby and Peterborough. The experts reckon that years of cortisone injections, to get him back on the pitch more quickly, had started to rot his bones away. Supporters are staging a benefit evening for him at the Birmingham Irish club tonight, and a whole host of other Republic legends are also set to attend, including Liam Brady, Kevin Sheedy, John Aldridge, Steve Staunton, Mark Lawrenson, Johnny Giles, Paul McGrath and Ray Houghton.
He was advised to give up playing in 1993, when the experts warned him he could end up in a wheelchair if he did not. The father of two, who was capped 26 times by the Republic of Ireland, has managed to find a job through the 'disabled back to work' programme. "Not being able to play again took a long time to come to terms with," he said. "I think I probably pushed my body too hard, but now I just want to put it all behind me."
Langan played 92 games for The Blues in the early 1980s, before moving on to Oxford, and he also had spells with Derby and Peterborough. The experts reckon that years of cortisone injections, to get him back on the pitch more quickly, had started to rot his bones away. Supporters are staging a benefit evening for him at the Birmingham Irish club tonight, and a whole host of other Republic legends are also set to attend, including Liam Brady, Kevin Sheedy, John Aldridge, Steve Staunton, Mark Lawrenson, Johnny Giles, Paul McGrath and Ray Houghton.