Big Interview: Dean Ashton

At the peak of your powers, as you are entering your very best years, you are told that – because of injury – the curtain on your career has to come down that instant.

That is exactly what happened to Dean Ashton when, aged just 26 years old, he was told he could no longer live his dream of being a professional footballer.

It meant both West Ham and England were robbed of an outstanding talent who not only scored goals, but also had all the attributes needed to lead a line.

But for the man himself, it meant a complete lifestyle change – one that he admits was incredibly difficult to adjust to.

Of course, it’s going to immensely hard for any athlete to come to terms with being forced to retire.

Ashton, though, also had to deal with the fact his injury was so avoidable.

He was just 22 when, in an England training session, he broke his ankle after being on the end of what seemed to be an innocuous challenge from Shaun Wright-Phillips.

“The way I broke it was just awkward and the damage that was done was kind of irreparable,” Ashton said, in an exclusive interview with the Express & Star.

“I thought I’d only be out for three or four months. Then it was 15 months. And then it was you have to have another operation.

“What seemed like a normal ankle break turned out to be a lot worse.

“I got back eventually, but I was never the same. I was effectively on borrowed time.”

Ashton may have never fully recovered from the challenge.

But it shows just how immensely talented he was that he still managed to battle his way back into the England fold.

In June, 2008, in a friendly against Trinidad and Tobago, the striker got a taste of what he hoped would go on to be a bright international future.

“To get back to that level, after the injury I’d had, I felt such pride at winning my first cap,” he continued. “It was reward for all that hard work.

“There was no hint that I may have to retire the following year. I was struggling a bit physically, but I thought I’d improve. I thought I’d go from strength to strength.”

Eighteen months later, though – following a series of setbacks – Ashton was told he needed to retire for the sake of his long-term health.

“It came to the point where there was a very real prospect that I might not be able to walk properly again,” he continued. “Suddenly I had to think about my quality of life and my kids, not just about football.”

Ashton said when he was told he had to retire, his mind went into overdrive.

“You are trying to deal with never being able to do the job you love again,” he continued. “But alongside that are all the financial implications.

“You go from earning a huge amount of money to literally zero. Players tend to live for the moment and don’t think about the future, but it’s so important to think about the unknown. Suddenly it’s all finished and you’re left with all of this stuff to sort out.”

For promising footballers today, there is so much to be learnt from Ashton’s career.

Ten years before he was forced into hanging up his boots, the forward was being linked with moves to Manchester United and Liverpool after bursting on to the scene with Crewe.

And he admits, even today, he still reflects on that part of his career.

“One of the biggest problems I had was that I came through very quickly,” Ashton said. “At 17, I was playing for Crewe and people were saying ‘Liverpool are looking at you. Man United are looking at you’. I was 17 or 18 years old, I had a bit of money and I was doing well at that level.

“But my form dipped like it does for a lot of young players and I struggled to get it back.

“It had been easy for me to take it for granted that I was going to start every week.

“And suddenly I lost my place when I was in League One. For about 10 to 15 games, I could not get in the team.

“But the year before I was in the Championship and starting every game as a 17-year-old.

“It knocked my confidence a bit and it took me a bit of time to realise that if I was going to make it I do actually have to put the work in – it wasn’t just going to happen naturally.”

From promising teenager, to Premier League striker, to England international, Ashton’s career was eventful even if it was cruelly cut short. And he admits, when he first stopped playing, he did fall out of love with the game.

“For a couple of years the injury did affect my love for the game,” he continued. “It was hard. I went from scoring goals and playing in front of 60,000 people every week to sitting on the sofa recovering from an injury that had robbed me of all that. I didn’t want to know. I wanted to cut myself off completely from it. But gradually it came back and now I can’t get enough.”

Ashton is now well respected football pundit with the 36-year-old a regular on the Football League highlights show on Quest. He also does work for talkSPORT and Sky.

“I love it, absolutely love it,” Ashton said when asked how he’s finding life in the media. “If you are going to do something other than playing, it’s either become a coach or to work in the media.

“To be at the games, watching, enjoying the atmosphere and giving my opinion, it’s fantastic.

“I have always loved the games. Training I could give or take. Whereas the games, for me, is what it’s all about so to be a part of that is great.

“Footballers can’t assume just because they were footballers, that they can walk out and talk about football.

“There’s a real art to the media side.

“With the media, I’m out of my comfort zone. It gives me the pre-match butterflies in your stomach. If you’re going to do something, you want to make sure you have that feeling beforehand to get the best out of yourself.”