World-renowned knee specialist to top stars is being sued by former Premier League player

A world-renowned knee specialist who’s treated stars including Virgil van Dijk, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Danny Ings is being sued by a former Premier League player who claims his career was prematurely ended by ‘aggressive’ surgery.

Andy Williams, of the Fortius Clinic in London, treated the footballer after he suffered a lateral meniscus tear to his left knee during training. Yet legal documents claim that Williams, during a second operation following a suspected infection to the knee, caused a ‘big’ medial retinaculum rupture which forced the player into early retirement.

The player, who was with a Championship club at the time of the initial injury and asked to remain anonymous, says he’s been left in pain, depressed, and that it’s impacted his future career prospects.

Surgeon Andy Williams, who has operated on stars such as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (right) is being sued by an unnamed player who claims his career was prematurely ended 

Williams, trusted by many Premier League and Aviva Premiership clubs, acknowledges the player picked up a new problem following surgery but denies any wrongdoing. A trial is set to take place in the High Court later this year, the costs of which could run into several hundreds of thousands of pounds.

The dispute started in January 2017 when the player suffered his original tear in training. He claims he was advised surgery should ‘100 per cent repair’ the problem and that he would return to playing within four months. Williams’ defence denies that any guarantee of success was given.

Legal documents then describe a dispute over a holiday – the player claiming he was told it was safe for him and his partner to go away and the surgeon claiming he said the opposite.

Instead of a smooth recovery, the player says he felt sharp pains in the knee, which swelled up. Documents state that on his return from holiday, with his knee still hot and swollen, he was admitted into hospital with a suspected infection and told he required urgent surgery.

He was operated on again by Williams, who is accused of performing an ‘aggressive’ procedure in March, as per his medical notes. The surgeon counters that this was a reference to his patient’s overall treatment plan and not referring to any aggression being involved in the surgery itself. He also says that ‘aggressive’ is commonly used by surgeons to mean ‘thorough or intensive’.

Virgil van Dijk is another player operated on by Williams, a world renowned specialist  

The player says his pain and swelling increased, however, and claims that Williams failed to recognise ‘that he had damaged the medial retinaculum – and if it was recognised, then failed to record the same’. Williams denies that he created the injury and says that the problem may have ‘arose thereafter from a weakening of the retinaculum by the previous infection and the claimant’s behaviour in terms of mobility and rehabilitation’.

In response to the defence, the player’s legal team say the assertion that infection caused their client’s large defect is ‘unsupportable’, adding there is ‘no support in the world literature of any association between infection and damage to medial retinaculum’.

The player says he tried to return to training in September 2017 but was unsuccessful. He claims he lost work and suffers from anxiety, distress and depression owing to negligence.

Williams’ defence claims regardless of the player’s new injury, he was already coming to the end of his career and wants proof that he would have had Football League clubs in for him if fit.

Danny Ings is another Premier League star who has been operated on by Williams

Barrington Atkins, a sports disputes lawyer at law firm Stewarts, who are representing the player, said: ‘Unless parties reach an amicable settlement, the courts will need to consider the extent to which this player’s medical treatment was negligent.

‘Losing a professional football career is devastating to any player and their family. We hope this case will continue to raise awareness for player welfare and the duty of care owed by medical practitioners to footballers.’

Tania Kahlon, solicitor at Bevan Brittan LLP, commented on behalf of her client: ‘Mr Williams strenuously denies the allegations made against him. Whilst the litigation between the parties is ongoing, it would be inappropriate for Mr Williams to comment further at this time.’