Matty Fryatt believes his career has been ‘stolen’ after being forced to retire through injury following his injury-ravaged spell at Nottingham Forest - and his former employers say they will defend his move to take legal action.
The ex-Reds attacker is now suing the club after claiming they put him under pressure to play, and lacked any basic care in his treatment for an Achilles problem he sustained in 2014, before retiring in 2018 at the age of 31.
“Forest's lack of understanding and their ignorance to it is so hard to take,” said Fryatt who is seeking 'substantial compensation' from the club he left in 2017.
"They don't want to take responsibility and for it to be dismissed the whole time, it's like they weren't listening to what I was saying.
"I find it appalling.
"They didn't listen to the injury or treat it as serious.
"I was telling them how much pain I was in."
Forest have responded by issuing a statement of their own, confirming that proceedings have been brought by Fryatt, who last played for the Reds in March 2016 in a 2-1 defeat against Charlton, when the club were owned by Fawaz Al Hasawi.
“The club can confirm that it is defending proceedings which have been commenced by a former player Matthew Fryatt,” it said in a statement.
"The claim relates to medical treatment received by Mr Fryatt prior to the current ownership of the club commencing.
"As is normal the claim is being handled by the club's insurers and the club will be making no further comment on the proceedings."
Meanwhile, Fryatt’s solicitor, Barrington Atkins from London law firm Stewarts said the matter is now for the court to decide whether or not the Reds were negligent in their treatment of the 34-year-old.
"It will ultimately be for the court to decide whether the treatment of Mr Fryatt was negligent, they said.
“We hope his case will contribute to the increasing focus on player safety, player welfare, and the duty of care owed by football clubs to their players."
