UID︰5687
UID︰8272
UID︰411
UID︰6014
UID︰9736
UID︰9252
UID︰8589
UID︰6696
UID︰8322
UID︰844
UID︰9644
UID︰6989
UID︰6830
Johnston: Boots to blameFormer Liverpool midfielder Craig Johnston claims Wayne Rooney's World Cup-threatening metatarsal injury was directly attributable to the boots he wore at Stamford Bridge.Johnston, who was born in South Africa but raised in Australia, designed footwear for Adidas upon his playing retirement and has been a critic of recent boot designs.England internationals David Beckham, Steven Gerrard and Michael Owen have all suffered a similar injury to that of Rooney's and Johnston insists it is no coincidence."Rooney's metatarsal was broken because his studs engaged in the turf at Stamford Bridge and it didn't release quickly enough so these injuries are a direct cause of the studs sticking when they should be releasing," Johnston told Sky Sports News."It has to be looked at immediately. I've been talking about this for two or three years. "I did originally design the Predator traction studs which Gerrard, Zidane and Beckham wear and, towards the end of my time at Adidas, I kept saying we need to make these studs smaller so they don't grip as much so the forces on the knees, ankles and metatarsals aren't as severe."It's a responsibility factor and everybody in the sports merchandise industry has a responsibility to the ordinary customer as well as these highly-tuned pieces of machinery that are our professional footballers."
Margo believes it is no coincidence metatarsal fractures have become more common since the introduction of lightweight boots. Apart from Rooney, David Beckham, Michael Owen, Gary Neville and Ledley King have all had to endure spells on the sidelines because of the problem. She said: 'The boots are lighter as you want more precision and more control. The bone, however, is less protected as it is only two centimetres in from the side of the foot and may be weakened during the game. 'If you have no support around that part of the foot the bone may become more vulnerable. While you might become fitter playing more matches, you might start to weaken things as a result. 'Players are not having the same amount of rest as they did before and that is a factor in injuries occurring as they do.'