Former All Whites goalkeeper Jake Gleeson has filed a US$10.2 million (NZ$15.6m) lawsuit against two Portland Timbers physicians.
The 30-year-old was with the Major League Soccer club for seven seasons, making 79 appearances.
According to The Oregonian, Gleeson contends that Dr Richards Edelson and Dr Jonathan Greenleaf committed medical negligence and battery by opting for a risky procedure to repair stress fractures in his tibias (shins).
Gleeson claims the pair failed to properly sterilise metal implants inserted into his tibias and failing to remove a metal implant in his right tibia when it became infected.
Speaking to The Oregonian, the now-retired Gleeson says the botched surgery has caused him severe emotional and physical turmoil.
"I've had my career taken from me," says Gleeson. "I've had the job that I love more than anything taken from me and a big aspect of my life taken from me.
"I'm physically not the same. I'm emotionally not the same, and I just would like to understand why and how someone could do this.
"I can’t go through my life not telling this story. [I need to bring] attention to this to prevent this from happening to anyone else."
Gleeson was diagnosed with tibial stress fractures by Edelson in 2018 and had surgery a few weeks later, which the club described as a complete success, The Oregonian reports.
Gleeson had further surgery a month later under Greenleaf, who opted to not remove the infected metal plate, despite cleaning up the infection, medical records show.
Since the initial surgery in August 2018, the Palmerston North native has had a further eight additional surgeries to repair his right tibia.
Nearly two years after his first surgery, Gleeson remains in constant pain and can no longer perform many athletic tasks.
“The emotional side was absolutely devastating to the point of crippling - battles with pretty severe depression, anxiety, panic attacks," Gleeson says.
"You spend your entire life working so hard, and just to have someone take that away from you is something that I haven’t been able to understand and deal with very well."
Gleeson played eight times for the All Whites, making his debut under Ricki Herbert in 2011. His last squad call-up came in 2014.
