Former United youngster Ben Collett will keep the record payout he was awarded last year after Middlesboro and Gary Smith failed in their appeal to get the decision overturned.
That means that Collett can now look forward to the £3 million he will receive as compensation for the tackle that ended his career in 2003. Lady Justice Smith rejected the appeal, saying that Mrs Justice Swift's original ruling was correct.
"The judge has put into the balance the possibility that the he might have done better than she had predicted,"
"She was entitled to take that view."
Alex Ferguson, Brian McClair, Howard Wilkinson and Gary Neville testified in the original trial that Collet was an "A-Class" footballer and had every chance of being a first team regular at Manchester United and a household name. Whilst the news is no doubt heartening for Collett, you have to wonder, what exactly are United missing?
Were it not for the injury we could have seen a star player emerging from the ranks once again. In 2003 he was awarded the Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year award, former winners of which include Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes. Sadly we will never get to see what might have been.
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