Former keeper's American nightmare

This story about former Addicks keeper Mike Ammann appeared in the Independent today:

Sitting outside Hitachi Data Systems' Washington DC office, the former Charlton goalkeeper Michael Ammann cuts a striking figure. Broad, handsome and in possession of a winning smile, he looks like a successful multinational corporate executive, but beneath broods a justifiably discontented ex-footballer.

Corporate life has moments of reflection, when workers muse on what might have been. These episodes usually end with the reality that they were not good enough. Unlike the dreamers, Ammann was good enough.

In his last year of college, Charlton Athletic invited him for a trial. Ammann, a Californian, arrived at the Addicks in 1994, and two solid seasons at The Valley in the English second tier prompted Alan Curbishley to offer him new terms. However, the then 25-year-old turned down a potential future in the Premiership for the supposed promise of MLS and Kansas City Wiz.

While happy with his decision, at the time, although "had I seen what a tremendous manager he was I would have stayed", Ammann soon realised MLS was not English football. The former US B international set records and became an All-Star, but MLSlife started to turn sour in 2000. The Bundesliga side Energie Cottbus approached his club at that time, New York MetroStars, about his services, but they blocked his return to Europe.

A few months later he was traded to Washington DC, and inside a year the All-Star was paralysed and without a job. During 2001, Ammann began to feel pain in his arms. He agreed to have a routine operation, but what transpired proved to be a true horror story, a million miles from the box-office sheen of Brand Beckham.

Ammann describes how his career ended. "I had surgery on my arms and immediately there were problems. The doctor told me all was fine, but I returned worse, so he wanted to go back in. [Now] I threw a flag up, as it was his first operation of this kind. I then saw specialists, who found my nerve was pinched at a right angle. Had I got treated within a month of my first surgery it could have been corrected."

Ammann was left with a claw-hand deformity and no feeling in his arms and elbows. His malpractice suit was successful,but his award left him owing his lawyers $90,000 (£44,000). Forced to retire, Ammann received no Disney-style farewell. After a series of rows with the DC United management, he was "blackballed" and never returned to the club.

His plight presents a stark contrast to David Beckham's arrival, and a dose of the reality of US football. The average salary is £25,000, which would be scoffed at by any top-level player in England. Having walked away from potential Premiership riches, Ammann earned during his entire MLS career what Beckham is reported to make in three days.

However, Ammann feels fortunate. With a college education, he got a well-paying corporate job, but he remains frustrated by the reality for most MLS players: "It's frightening how some are treated; players skip college for £6,000 contracts. They could make more flipping burgers."

I met Mike Ammann once and I thought he was a decent guy. I was sorry to read how things have turned out. Have a good one, Paul.