FORMER Manchester United player Alex Notman was signed by Sir Alex Ferguson before injury cut short his career.
He now works in oil and gas after retiring aged just 23, but he is thankful for the short spell he did have in the game.
News Group Newspapers LtdAlex Notman played for Scotland Under-21s 11 times[/caption]
Notman, 43, joined United‘s academy and scored regularly for the reserve side before a forgettable loan spell at Aberdeen.
The striker made just one senior appearance for the Red Devils and joined Norwich on a permanent basis in 2000 following another loan spell at Sheffield United.
He made 53 appearances for the Canaries before suffering a freak ankle injury in a derby match against Ipswich.
Notman recalled in an interview with The Times: “I was in the wall and it was my job to charge down the free kick. Mark Venus pinged one, I’ve jumped, it’s caught the bottom of my studs and my ankle has gone.
“I thought it was a two or three-weeker. That’s not how it worked out. I tried to get back and got diagnosed with a couple of things which didn’t turn out to be the case.
“I then went to see an ankle specialist in Sheffield who said it was my ligaments on the inside, they’d worn away and needed to be reattached.
“They got me in the next day to go under the knife, but when they went to reattach the ligaments, they had completely worn away. The surgeon told the club I wouldn’t be able to train every day and play Tuesday/Saturday, the rigorous way you need to in those leagues.
“I tried to come back, and I did get back to fitness. I played a couple of reserve games, scored a few goals, then played one more and the ankle went again. This was almost a year later. It was done.”
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The injury forced Notman into an early retirement but he has since forged a successful career as a project engineer.
He works in the oil and gas industry and although it does not match playing football, the Scot is happy with his career path.
Notman added: “I basically produce test packs for guys to use when looking for leaks in pipes offshore.
“It takes me all over the place. Back in Norwich at the moment. Been doing it for 15 years; been in Spain, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan.
“It’s been a bit of a change, but I enjoy it. Not as much as I enjoyed football, but I’ve been lucky. It’s given me a good life.”
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