Kyle Bartley reveals impact of West Brom injury return and how he will need knee replacement following retirement
Long serving Albion defender Kyle Bartley called time on his seven season spell at West Brom and his career back in the summer - when he retired from the game.
The 34-year-old, who turned out more than 230 times for Albion, having arrived in 2018 - called time on his playing career before the start of the new season, citing a knee problem picked up last season.
And the departed Albion skipper has detailed the extent of the injury he picked up last season - and how much of an impact it had on him and his decision to hang up his boots.
Bartley underwent surgery in October on his knee and had just returned to training when he was thrust back into the Albion team for a game against Sunderland - due to an injury crisis.
Speaking as a guest on BBC WM's Football Phone In this week - Bartley outlined how he probably returned to action too soon and it had an impact on the rest of the season.
He also explained that 'sooner or later', he is now going to have to have a knee replacement having decided to hang up his boots.
The former Albion man said: "I'd had a knee operation last season and I came back from that in four weeks, which was probably quicker than I should have done.
"At the time we were desperate with not having any defenders fit.
"I had only trained the day before and done half a session. The plan was to train for a week to ten days before getting any sort of game time, but we had injuries leading into the game and Ousmane Diakite got injured in the warm up.
"Carlos (Corberan) asked if I could give him 45 minutes, and I said I would and give my absolute best to get through it. The game finished 0-0 so everyone was happy.
"That probably took a bit out of my knee coming back that early. I spent the rest of the season playing games with minimal training to manage the swelling in my knee.
"I have been left with no ligament in my knee and I will need a knee replacement sooner or later.
"It is what it is. A lot of footballers finish their careers and they've got some kind of serious injuries but I don't regret any of them."
