Ex-Premier League footballer SYLVAN BLAKE wins £7m lawsuit against surgeon after unnecessary procedure ended his ‘top flight’ career

Friday, December 19, 2025 - Former Premier League striker Sylvan Ebanks Blake has won a court case worth more than seven million pounds against a surgeon after a procedure ruled unnecessary brought his top flight career to an end.

Ebanks Blake, now 39, went into surgery in 2013 after suffering a lower leg fracture while playing for Wolverhampton Wanderers. The former England Under 21 international later claimed that an additional operation performed during treatment was destructive and ultimately ended his Premier League career.

After the injury, Ebanks Blake drifted down the English football league system before retiring in 2019 following another leg fracture while playing non league football.

He sued his surgeon, Professor James Calder, seeking damages of more than seven million pounds. On Thursday, Mrs Justice Lambert ruled in his favour, entitling the former striker to compensation, with the final amount to be determined at a later hearing.

In her judgment, the judge found that it had been “neither reasonable nor logical” to perform the procedure on a patient who had been pain free at the time.

Ebanks Blake began his career in youth football at Manchester United before rising through the lower leagues to Wolves, where he scored 64 goals in 193 appearances between 2007 and 2013.

The court heard that during treatment for the fracture, Professor Calder also carried out an arthroscopy on Ebanks Blake’s ankle, removing cartilage and performing a microfracture procedure on the underlying bone. The surgeon said he believed the cartilage problem could worsen if left untreated.

However, lawyers for the former striker argued that the operation caused stiffness and reduced movement in his left ankle, which had previously caused him no problems.

After leaving Wolves, Ebanks Blake joined Ipswich Town but continued to suffer pain despite regular steroid injections. He eventually ended his playing career in 2019.

His barrister, Simeon Maskrey KC, told the court, “His decision to stop was the result of the continuing pain and stiffness in the left ankle joint and not because of the fracture.”

Maskrey added that although the surgery was recommended, the footballer had no symptoms at the time and the risks to an elite sportsman outweighed any possible benefit. He said the outcome of the operation was that Ebanks Blake lost his income as a professional footballer and now requires ongoing physiotherapy and psychological support.

Representing the surgeon, Martin Forde KC denied any wrongdoing and said, “The treatment provided by Prof Calder would be supported by a responsible body of trauma and orthopaedic surgeons with expertise in treating patients within elite sport.”

Delivering her ruling, Mrs Justice Lambert rejected that argument. “I find that the defendant was in breach of duty in performing an arthroscopy on a previously symptom free claimant who had suffered a modest acute ankle fracture only,” she said.

She added, “In the circumstances I accept the evidence that the claimant’s ankle would have remained pain free for a period of three to five years during which time he would have been capable of playing football at a high level.”