Soccer Star David Beckham Ruptures Achilles Tendon and Will Miss World Cup Soccer Competition

David Beckham, international soccer star, tore his Achilles tendon recently while on loan from the U.S. Galaxy Team to the AC Milan Italy team. He had repair surgery done in Turku, Finland a few days later, performed by famed orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Sakari Orava. He is reported recovering nicely.

There is little chance Beckham will be playing soccer again this season. How this injury will affect his future is unknown.

Maybe David Beckham's best days are already behind him. At age 35 he is considered an old man in the soccer community. His most recent injury will take a long time to heal. His many English fans will be disappointed. They expected him to play in the World Cup Soccer competition this summer, on loan to England from the United States team to which he belongs.

The movie Bend it with Beckham helped make London- born Beckham a world wide megastar. He has played professional soccer since the age of 17. He has won practically every soccer award possible.

However since he joined the L.A. Galaxy team in 2007 things have not gone well. He was hired to try to bring popularity to professional soccer in the United States, but was injured and unable to play most of the time. Galaxy meanwhile, has been loaning him out to other teams. At the time of his recent injury, it was suspected Beckham would soon join the Milan team.

If he had not injured his Achilles tendon, he would have become one of the few British-born players to play in 4 consecutive World Cups.

The Achilles tendon is named for Achilles, the ancient Greek hero of the Trojan War. Achilles, was invulnerable except for one spot on his heel. He was eventually killed by an arrow shot into that very spot.

The Achilles tendon rupture involves a break in the tendon connecting the back of the leg with the heel. It is a common sports injury involving acceleration or jumping up or getting hit. Beckham was not hit by another player. He was "pushing off."

However no need to worry about Mr. Beckham. His fame and popularity are recognized around the world. Handsome, beautiful, rich and personable, he and his wife Victoria (former Spice girl, Posh) are world famous fashion glamour figures. They are sought after by clothing manufacturers, sports and fitness companies, fashion magazines, perfume and cosmetics manufacturers, hair stylists, spa and recreation specialists, as well as Coca Cola and IBM.

A recent example is a new line of aftershave and fragrances for men, called David Beckham Instinct.

Sources:

Wikipedia

http://www.metro.co.uk/sport

Bleacher Report

Everything about Achilles tendons