Injured Blues centre Tom Shanklin facing end of career

[TRF_Cymro]

Wales and Cardiff Blues centre Tom Shanklin has revealed he will not play again this season - and hinted his rugby career is hanging in the balance.

Shanklin had knee surgery in January and was expected back in three months.

But the 31-year-old has written off this season entirely and acknowledged that a full recovery is not guaranteed.

"My knee is in pretty bad shape really and so I'm just going to see how I recover," said the 70-times capped man, who is out of contract in May.

"I'm not going to play again this season. I'm going to make sure my knee is right and I'll take it from there. It's quite a serious injury I've got."

The 2005 British and Irish Lion played throughout the recent autumn series for Wales, but his season came to a sudden halt in early January after pulling up in a Magners League match against Aironi.

Scans revealed the severity of the injury, forcing Shanklin, whose career has been blighted by knee problems, to go under the surgeon's knife once again.

Blues coach Dai Young had hoped to welcome him back to fold before the end of the season, giving him a few games to try to stake a claim to be included in Wales' World Cup preparations.

"He should be back by the end of March, beginning of April, and has to get fit, so he may feature in some of our games at the end of the season," said Young a month ago.

Two weeks after the injury setback, Shanklin was dealt another blow when Blues chairman, Peter Thomas, announced his contract would not be renewed at the end of the season because of financial constraints.

"Old Father Time catches up with everybody," Thomas told the Magners League website.

Lions and Wales flanker Martyn Williams was included in that bracket by Thomas, but the Blues have back-tracked slightly over recent weeks and BBC Sport Wales understands they are working on their budget with a view to keeping him on.

As yet, there has been no indication of a similar deal being considered for Shanklin, and the player himself says he has not forced the issue with his current employers.

"It's not something I'm really focussing on too much," he told BBC Radio Wales' Scrum V programme.

"I mean my knee is pretty bad. I want to get that right. And if I get my knee right, I'll get a contract."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/my_club/cardiff_blues/9407020.stm​

 

[Draggs]

Great player, always put in 100% for club and country.
I'll never forget him owning BOD in 2005, to top off a great match.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Hopefully he doesn't have to call it a day, and can leave the game on his own terms, not through injury,
But if it's a bad injury he doesn't want to do anything nasty to it by playing afterwards

 

[durbutter]

A ******* great player, who went quietly about his business

 

[Oliparrett]

Hate seeing players forced out of the game, unfortunately with the sport as it is it will happen more frequently! it worries me how much damage these props are doing with this stupid pause engage nonsense! Tom was a great solid player and deserves all the credit he will get if and when he retires

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Not the flashiest of guys as it has been mentioned went round his business quietly. Solid performer who you knew what you were getting with him!