Bristol City defender Nathan Baker has sadly confirmed his retirement from professional football on medical grounds after sustaining two serious concussions last season.
Baker hasn't played for City since leaving the field against Sheffield United on November 28 after landing awkwardly following an aerial challenge, which left him hospitalised for 24 hours. That came five weeks after a similar injury at West Brom.
After nine months of assessments coupled with treatment and recuperation at home, Baker has been advised by medical professionals that carrying on playing at a professional level would, "represent a significant risk to his ongoing and future health".
City have stressed that the 31-year-old is without any neurological or cognitive issues, but is likely to be monitored with further testing in the future.
"Football has been a massive part of my life from a very young age, so this has not been the easiest decision for me, however I must take the advice from the medical team and consultants," Baker said.
"It's sad to think I won't be playing football again, there are so many things I'm going to miss, such as my teammates, the friendships made, plus a good tackle! But I must put my health and family first, it's not worth the risk.
“I'd like to thank all the staff at Bristol City for doing all they can to help me through this tough time. And I'd like to thank the fans who have supported me throughout my career at Bristol City and Aston Villa.
"I'm so grateful and lucky to have had the opportunity to play for such great clubs and even represent my country. There are so many memories that will always stay with me.”
A tough-tackling and committed centre-back over six seasons for City after joining permanently from Aston Villa in 2017, Baker has made 148 appearances for the Robins and had a cult following among supporters.
He first joined City under Steve Cotterill on loan in 2015 from Villa but returned to the Midlands club the following summer to play a season in the Championship.
City, with Lee Johnson having replaced Cotterill, then paid £3.5m to bring him to Ashton Gate permanently where he became a fixture of the defence, albeit riddled with persistent injury issues due to his whole-hearted brand of defending.
Baker was a regular under Johnson, successor Dean Holden and most-recently Pearson who identified with his defensive style, handing him a new two-year contract last summer after he initially had been released on a free transfer.
“It’s a sad day for any player when they have to step away from the game, especially in Nathan’s case when it’s a lot earlier than he had planned," Pearson said. "However, the health and safety of players must come first and we fully support the advice given to Nathan to ensure his health is the primary concern.
“Nathan was a fabulous servant to our club and popular in dressing room as well in the stands with the supporters. We wish him all the best for the future as he starts his life away from the pitch with his young family.”
Despite being unable to even train with the first-team, Baker has been a regular guest at the High Performance Centre to see his teammates and CEO Richard Gould admits he'll be welcomed back in the future at the club.
“It is a great shame that Nathan will now retire from professional football, but we fully support the decision made by the medical consultants to avoid any future risk to his health," Gould said. “Nathan has been a wonderful player for the Club and will always be a welcome guest.
"He is greatly respected, and it is such a shame his illustrious career has been cut short. But it is the right decision, and we fully support the conclusion that has been reached by all parties."
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