Footballer Gets £4.3m for Career-ending Tackle

A 23-year-old football player for Manchester United today won more than £4.3m damages at the London high court over a tackle that ended his career.

But the compensation to be received by Ben Collett, described by Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson as an "outstanding" player, will be even greater when sums for future loss of pension and interest on lost earnings are determined at a hearing set for October.

Mrs Justice Swift, sitting in London, today announced that when all of the figures were decided, the final sum to be awarded was not likely to be less than £4.5m.At a recent hearing in Manchester, Fergusson said Collett had an "outstanding chance" of becoming a full-time professional if he had not been injured.

Collett joined United's youth academy aged nine and signed youth contracts, becoming part of the club's FA Youth Cup-winning team in 2003.

But, aged 18 and in his first game in the reserves in May 2003, he had his right leg broken in two places in a tackle by Middlesbrough FC's Gary Smith.

Both Smith and the club admitted liability for the "negligent" tackle and the judge's task was to decide on the level of compensation Collett should receive from Middlesbrough's insurers.

Mrs Justice Swift said that, had it not been for the injury, Collett would have been offered a three-year professional contract with Manchester United in July 2003.