Aliadiere salutes Middlesbrough after injury nightmare

As cruel twists of football fate go, it ranks up there with the worst.

West Ham were keen on signing Jeremie Aliadiere a month ago, but wanted ­evidence of his fitness.

So he was invited to play for the reserves against Crystal Palace on a Monday night, but five minutes in, Aliadiere felt a searing pain in his knee.

“I had damaged my ­cruciate knee ligaments,” he recalled.

And that meant the end of any ­possible revival of his career at Upton Park, leaving ­Aliadiare clubless.

He said: “There was a ­misunderstanding about the deal. I was led to believe it had been agreed, but West Ham said it hadn’t.

“I asked the PFA to help and they said that all the club were obliged to pay was my medical expenses which they have.”

Former club Boro stepped in when they heard what had ­happened. “They have been brilliant,” said ­Aliadiere who starts his ­rehabilitation up at Teesside this week.

“Gordon ­Strachan offered me the use of all their facilities. Hopefully I can be running again in six weeks and fit again in four months.”

“I can’t wait to be playing again,” he said. “This has all been so frustrating.

“Money is not the priority but I do want to be earning again. No-one is paying me at the moment. I’m not on the street – but it is my profession and I want to be out there.”