Busst To Offer Comfort

Last updated : 25 February 2008 By Covsupport
Former Coventry City defender David Busst has offered some comfort to Arsenal player Eduardo who was stretchered off with a broken leg after a horrific tackle against Birmingham City on Saturday.

Busst, who is employed by City's Academy also suffered an horrific leg break which ended his Sky Blue career, and told the Birmingham Post: "I saw it on Match of the Day. "I saw Martin Taylor coming towards him, saw the foot go up and I had to look away. It brought back the memories. I flinched. I just looked away as soon as I saw the connection.

"I always send a 'get well' message to players who have broken their legs badly and I'll be putting pen to paper for Eduardo. I remember how much all the letters meant to me when I was lying in hospital."



Speaking to The Times, Busst commented: "It is an understatement to say that Eduardo's mental state will be fragile right now - he will be anxious and frightened, there will be little space in his head for optimism and hope.

"It is vital that he is put in a positive state of mind as quickly as possible. My doctor said to me quite early on that my leg might have to be amputated, then that I might never walk or run again.

"That didn't help; it was not what I needed to hear. Eduardo needs to be set small, achievable goals. First to concentrate on getting back walking, then jogging, then working on his fitness, then with the ball. 

Busst needed 26 operations and never played again. He added: "It may help Eduardo if he is told as much information about his injury as possible, what has happened to his leg and how the doctors intend to repair it. "If it's a clean break then he has a chance of perhaps training again within a year, but if there is severe muscle and tissue damage then the outlook is less optimistic.

"The doctors will have assessed the extent of the damage to Eduardo's leg by now and, taking his current emotional state into account, they may or may not have told him the diagnosis.

"Whatever that may be, he needs to be given as much positive news and encouragement as possible right now. His livelihood is under severe threat and that alone is a lot for any person to deal with."