Wilson: Football must act after horror tackle

FORMER Arsenal keeper Bob Wilson has called on football authorities to act in the wake of Aaron Ramsey’s horrific injury against Stoke on Saturday.

Ramsey suffered a double compound fracture at the Britannia Stadium after a challenge by defender Ryan Shawcross. And Wilson believes more should be done to prevent such injuries.

“The game has moved forward but the FA and the Premier League are content to have a brutal side to the game,” he told BBC Wales. Wilson also suggests British national sides will pay the price for such injuries, adding: “Ultimately [England, Scotland and Wales] will not win major competitions in that way.”

The 19-year-old Wales international underwent surgery on Saturday to fix fractures to his tibia and fibula in his right leg and has unsurprisingly been ruled out for the rest of the season.

Wilson claimed: “This is born out of most managers and coaches facing Arsenal, plus media pundits and even ex-players, instructing their players to get in their faces.

“Arsenal are a relatively small team. Opposing players are told to shake them up, get in their faces, tackle hard, bully them. I would defy coaches and managers to deny that is the case.

“The tackle by Ryan Shawcross was at best mistimed, at worst reckless and desperate.”

Players from both sides were visibly shaken by the incident, which was not replayed on live television.

The injury had echoes of Eduardo’s double fracture at Birmingham two years ago. The Gunners also lost midfielder Abou Diaby to serious injury in 2006 at Sunderland. Wilson revealed he had contacted Ramsey after the incident.

“I managed to get a message through to the Arsenal physio to find out how Aaron was doing and the answer was he was doing well,” said Wilson.

“I was told that he was feeling very little pain following surgery so I sent a text to Aaron and I received a little message back saying ‘I’m doing OK’. But it is a career-threatening injury, a double compound fracture.

“In the time I played, Don Howe had a similar injury, tibia and fibula through the skin, which is obviously horrific, and he didn’t play again. Clearly it’s a huge setback but I think Aaron will be back. Modern science will aid that recovery. He’s a very, very special talent.”

Ramsey is in “surprisingly good spirits”, according to his international manager John Toshack.

“I spoke to him this morning and he seems in decent spirits but it is a blow for the player, the club and us. All we can do now is hope that he has a speedy, successful recovery, but it is going to be a long one.

“The information we have got is that he is as comfortable as can be expected and he seemed in surprisingly decent spirits when I spoke to him.”

Ramsey’s fellow Gunner, Eduardo, who suffered a sickening broken leg at Birmingham two years ago, and he insists Ramsey will come back stronger.

“Seeing that again made me think about my injury and what happened. It brought back my memories. But I am totally convinced Ramsey will come back. The whole team is with him.”

Arsenal’s players and manager Arsene Wenger will visit Ramsey this week and Danish striker Nicklas Bendtner led the chorus of support for the midfielder.

“I think about, how bad I felt, when I was out for three months with my groin injury, and this is just so much worse for Aaron. But now we will go and win the title for Aaron.”