Whether you are into football or not, the Euros was an unmissable event this year. Fans across the nation watched in anticipation as the England squad made it to the final of the competition. The whole tournament was a delight to watch and, the team played incredibly but, it does beg the question – what are the risks of playing football?  

The obvious risk of playing football is injury. The high contact and impact nature of the game means that getting injured is easy to do. To minimise long-lasting damage, you must recognise some of the common injuries footballers face.  

Ankle sprain  

Football requires you to switch your direction of play within an instance, meaning your body can often move before your ankles have the chance to catch up. As a result of this, the ligament tissue that connects your bones can pull or tear. The impact of this is an immense amount of pain and being unable to play for several weeks/months. Rest is the best cure for an ankle sprain as you need time to let your ligaments heal.   

Hamstring Strain  

Strains are one of the most common injuries a sportsperson can gain, especially in football. However, the most common strain is in the hamstring as these three muscles at the back of your thigh take a huge amount of pressure when playing football. Boyes Turner analysed the injury history during the Euros and found that a non-specific muscle injury can see a player out for 18.7 days and miss 3.2 games in professional sport. Seeking the correct medical attention when a strain occurs is essential as if your condition worsens, you may need a medical negligence solicitor to give you the compensation you deserve.  

Knee Injury 

Tearing the cartilage in your knee can be an excruciatingly painful injury. Often this injury occurs when a player takes a blow to the outside of the knee by another player. Alternatively, if you bend, twist, or pivot your knee joint in an unnatural way, it can cause long term damage.  

To avoid any long-lasting damage whilst playing football, preparing yourself before a game is essential. Stretching before a game will warm up your muscles and help them work to capacity. Not only this, stretching contributes to your flexibility which will help when in gameplay.  

You must warm-up before a game. You might do skill drills or just a jog around the pitch but however you do it, you must get your body warmed up.  

Finally, you must stay hydrated and drink water before your game as this will fuel your body whilst you sweat during your match.