Armagh goalkeeper Ethan Rafferty is set to undergo surgery after he suffered a serious ankle injury while playing for his club Grange late last month.
Rafferty, who plays outfield for Grange, sustained the injury during a league game against St Peter’s Lurgan when the two legs of an opponent "caught" his standing leg. Laying on the ground, Rafferty tried to grab his ankle.
"I grabbed it because of the look of it," he told Colm Parkinson's Smaller Fish GAA podcast.
"At the time, I shouted but it was more because of the look of it. It was pure shock. That's why I went for it.
"A lot of my family were there. They gathered around quickly enough. I don't remember too much pain until I was getting into the ambulance. I think it was more the horror of it, that's why I reached [for it]."
'I'm going to miss the Armagh club championship'
Rafferty was thankful the injury was to his weaker right foot rather than the stronger left.
"Whenever i looked down, my leg was dead straight and my foot was pointing completely to the right"
Ethan Rafferty on his ankle injury. He's in for surgery today.@AIGIreland
Full show https://t.co/MobvBWbYDV pic.twitter.com/mLzMzlEy8o
— Smaller Fish GAA (@SmallerFishGAA) August 8, 2023
"Whenever I looked down, my leg was dead straight and my foot was pointing completely to the right," he said.
"At the time, I thought it was my leg that snapped, just halfway down my shin. I'll be honest, I was scared. I thought that was my leg completely gone. Then, when I went to grab it, I could see my foot half clicking. I sort of had the idea that it was just my ankle.
"It wasn't until I got into hospital then that the doctor told me it had to go back in. Thankfully, it wasn't a snapped leg or anything like that or we'd be talking about something different."
5 June 2022; Armagh goalkeeper Ethan Rafferty kicks a point during the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Round 1 match between Armagh and Tyrone at Athletic Grounds in Armagh. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
Rafferty added that he does not have a timeframe for recovery from the injury.
"A brother of mine got a similar injury and said his was the guts of three months," he said.
"At the minute, I have that in my head. I won't really know until I go in [for surgery]. I'm going to miss the club championship but [Armagh's] season isn't going to start until December or January so I'm not in a massive panic.
"I want to get it done and see where it's sitting then afterwards. Maybe another couple of ligaments need treatment but not surgery."
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