‘It was horrible. After the operation I couldn’t even lift my leg,’ David Turnbull’s knee op nightmare

DAVID TUNRBULL sat inside the Boardroom at Celtic Park alongside Neil Lennon and knew that he had just the formality of a medical between him and a £3.25million transfer from Motherwell to the Treble Treble winners.

But in a cruel twist of fate the doctors discovered a knee problem that no-one previously had identified and the medical opinion was clear and was accepted by both clubs – Turnbull needed an operation to save his career.

He underwent preventative knee surgery and remained a Motherwell player after the Fir Park side rejected Celtic compromise agreement regarding taking him, paying a proportion of the agreed fee, managing and paying for the medical costs and rehabilitation and then when the teenage midfielder was fully fit, pay the rest.

Motherwell resisted that but there remains in place a ‘gentleman’s agreement’ and the £3.25m deal could well be completed in early summer – provided Turnbull ‘gets back on his feet’ and starts playing football again.

That though is perhaps a little further away that it was initially thought. The reports last summer predicted a return to action after the winter shutdown and judging by his recent interview with BBC Scotland that is not happening.

“It was horrible,” Turnbull admitted. “After the operation I couldn’t even lift my leg. It was just like going from the highest to the lowest.

“My family all helped me, but I was just trying to think positively and I think it was six to eight weeks before I could start walking. And that was with crutches.

“I lost so much muscle in my leg and obviously I hadn’t walked in two months. Davie [Henderson, club physio] was trying to teach me how to walk again and as silly as it sounds it was tough to do.

“Once I started walking I was just trying to get the strength back in my leg and that took a while as well.”

Turnbull, after impressing and scoring regularly as he broke into the Motherwell first team, was a player very much in demand early last summer. Celtic made their move but Norwich City tried to take him to help with their return to the Premier League but eventually the player decided that Paradise was for him.

“My head was all over the place, to be honest,” the Celtic target explained. “I would just be sitting in my room or the living room and then my agent would phone me and tell me this team or the next team. It was team after team. My head was just everywhere and then bids started coming in and I knew it was going to be time up.

“I was obviously set for a big change in my life. Completely. I had been with Motherwell since I was 10. So it was going to be something really big to me. A lot different to what I had been doing.

“Then that came along. It was horrible. It was something I didn’t know I had and I had to get it done. When I saw the scans it was massive and I just had to listen to the medical advice. But I’ve forgotten about that now and I just need to look to returning.

“Going back to Motherwell I knew that they would treat me well and everyone does treat me brilliantly. I know how well everyone loves me and I love the club as well. It helped a lot.”

The chances of an early return to action have gone but Turnbull still believes he can play for the Stephen Robinson’s side before the end of this campaign. And he’s even contemplating breaking into Steve Clarke’s plans for the national side. Is that a realistic possibility, Turnbull was asked?

“It will be. I just need to get back to my best. Hopefully as soon as possible. I need to get match fit but that is something I’ll look to for the future.

“I do feel like I could contribute to the team.”

Motherwell is a fan-owned and operated business. They recently posted losses but those will be wiped out completely and the club will be on a firm financial footing should Turnbull return to full fitness and complete his £3.25m dream move to Paradise.

We wish him well.

*You can watch James McFadden’s full interview with David Turnbull on Scottish Cup Sportscene on Saturday at 19:15 BST on the BBC Scotland channel.

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About Author

The Celtic Star founder and editor, who has edited numerous Celtic books over the past decade or so including several from Lisbon Lions, Willie Wallace, Tommy Gemmell and Jim Craig. Earliest Celtic memories include a win over East Fife at Celtic Park and the 4-1 League Cup loss to Partick Thistle as a 6 year old. Best game? Easy 4-2, 1979 when Ten Men Won the League. Email editor@thecelticstar.co.uk

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