Striker Alex Fletcher retired from football at the age of 25 after crashing into concrete advertising hoardings during a match, leaving him in a coma.
The Weston-super-Mare striker returned to action last August, nine months after the horrific incident that occurred while playing for Bath City in a National League South match against Dulwich Hamlet in November 2022.
The footballer needed emergency surgery before embarking on the long process of learning to walk again.
But Fletcher said the collision left him with problems with balance, rhythm and coordination, as well as being permanently deaf in his left ear.
This means that despite an inspiring comeback last year, the striker has now decided to end his career, adding that he “didn’t feel like the same player” as before the accident.
Alex Fletcher retired from football at the age of 25 after crashing into concrete advertising hoardings during a match, leaving him in a coma.
Fletcher, pictured with his fiancée Ellie, needed emergency brain surgery and was left in a coma.
Fletcher began his career as a product of Plymouth Argyle’s academy and made 24 appearances for the south-west club.
He then had loan spells at Torquay United and Aldershot Town, as well as a permanent deal at Tiverton Town before moving to Bath in 2021.
The striker made 56 appearances for the Somerset side, scoring 23 goals, but never played for the side again after the shocking accident which took place when he put a cross into the box and was unable to stop its momentum as it crashed into the boards behind the goal.
Fletcher took up a role in the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) Brain Health department last summer, where he highlighted the importance of looking after your brain as a footballer.
His move to Weston-super-Mare was confirmed last October and the striker scored one goal in eleven appearances for the team. He also spent time on loan at Tiverton Town that season.
Announcing his retirement in an Instagram post, Fletcher said: ‘For me to continue playing football would be going too far and I’m truly heartbroken about it.
‘I think I owed it to myself to get back on the field, that really boosted my recovery.
‘I felt like if I had been deprived of the opportunity to get back on the court, I wouldn’t have been able to deal with it emotionally.
The Weston-super-Mare striker returned to action last August, nine months after the horrific incident.
But Fletcher said the collision left him with problems with balance, timing and coordination, as well as leaving him permanently deaf in his left ear.
“Since I recovered and returned to the field there was something in my game that was missing.”
‘Those three components of football are most of what made me a good player.’
Weston-super-Mare manager Scott Bartlett added that the 25-year-old had “taken it all in his stride”. BBC reports.
He added: “He’s an intelligent person with a great family, which recently had a very important new member. That’s obviously the most important thing.”
‘I haven’t known Alex for very long in the grand scheme of things, but he left an impression on me and the rest of our club.’
Last April, Fletcher spoke about his experience undergoing emergency brain surgery.
There was immediate concern for Fletcher as he received immediate medical attention and the game was quickly abandoned.
He revealed that the suspension of the match quickly brought home to him the seriousness of the injury he had suffered.
“At that moment I knew it had to be something serious,” Fletcher told The Guardian as he reflected on the abandonment.
“I actually remember feeling a bit guilty and thinking, ‘Oh no, Dulwich have come all the way from London’. I know what it’s like, it’s a massive pain to have to make that journey again, especially on a Tuesday night.”
Fletcher said he was overwhelmed by the support he had received since the shocking incident.
The striker was taken to hospital by ambulance and recalled telling himself he needed to stay conscious for fear of not waking up again if he passed out.
“I felt like if I fell asleep or passed out, that could have been it, really,” he continued.
“I was telling myself, ‘You have to stay awake as long as you can. ‘ I guess it was a ‘go down or die’ reaction. Then I remember the lights as they wheeled me into the hospital, very bright lights overhead. Subconsciously I knew I had arrived at a place where I would be cared for. After that I went blank.”