Cruciate injury leaves Bradley's football future in doubt
The inter-county future of Derry star Paddy Bradley is uncertain after he suffered a second cruciate knee ligament injury in the space of 17 months.
Bradley injured his left knee during a training session with his club Glenullin last week, "a combination of a twist and a collision" in his own words - and a subsequent scan confirmed the cruciate damage.
It is cruel luck for the 31-year-old who worked his way back from rupturing the cruciate ligament in his right knee in April 2011, captaining Derry this past season under recently-departed manager John Brennan.
Bradley will undergo an operation on his latest injury at the end of next month, leaving him unsure as to when or if he will return for the Oak Leafers.
"I know it's possible for me to return, even for next year's Ulster Championship, but only if I do everything right. Whether I have the drive for that, I just can't say right now," the school teacher told the Irish Independent.
"I did everything right with my rehabilitation the last time. It can turn your life upside down. I was in the gym most mornings before I went to school.
"But now I have two children and I have changed teaching jobs, which has given me more responsibility. I can't really say if I can give my recovery everything required to be back to where I was."
The former All-Star forward suggested that he might not be part of new Derry boss Brian McIver's plans anyway, as thoughts turn to the 2013 season and a period of rebuilding for the county.
"That's the other thing. Brian is talking in terms of a five-year plan and that's obviously going to involve a lot of change," admitted Bradley.
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