Planet Swans ArchivesSwansea City have been dealt a huge blow with the news that Owain Tudur Jones is fighting to save his career in football through a chronic knee injury
The highly-rated midfielder has flown to America to see world-renowned specialist Richard Steadman, who has treated the likes of Alan Shearer, Michael Owen and Ronaldo in the past.
”I wouldn’t say this is the last chance,” said Swansea physio Richie Evans, who flew to Colorado with Tudur Jones on Monday. ”But there’s no hiding from the fact that Owain’s got a career-threatening injury. ”He has a joint-surface problem, and there’s no procedure that can rectify the problem in professional sportsman. ”Having said that, players have come back from it.”
The club themselves are stumping up some of the cost of the trip with the insurance covering the rest
”We want to give him the best opportunity because he is a lad with massive potential,” Evans added. ”We had the option of going to see Dai Rees in Oswestry, but Owain wanted a second opinion from the man who has pioneered this kind of surgery. ”Richard Steadman has got the likes of Alan Shearer, who had all kinds of knee problems, and Michael Owen back playing.”
Richie Evans will return home in time for the weekend game with Rotherham but Jones will remain in the States for a further week working with Steadman before an exhaustive rehab back home in Wales.
”We’ll be surprised if Owain plays again this season,” said Swansea boss Kenny Jackett. ”He is a talented lad and we would be sad to lose him, so we’re looking long term in the hope that this works and we can get him back. The fact that we’ve sent him to America shows how much we think of him.”
