5@10: Chicken breasts, calves' blood and faith healers - the top five most bizarre injury treatments
The Holland striker hopes having placenta fluid rubbed on to the troublesome area will help speed up his recovery.
The Dutchman is not the first footballer to go to extremes to aid recovery times so we've got the top five bizarre injury cures right here...
1) The chicken breast
After suffering a deep gash in his ankle in a Champions League tie against Chelsea in 2004, Patrice Evra was told he would be out for a month while the stitches healed. The left back, then with Monaco, was determined not to miss the Champions League final so played on with a chicken breast in his boot. He said: "I remember I was going to the butcher and saying, ‘I want one piece, but small'." He added: "The most funny thing is, after the game (the Champions League final against Porto), the meat was cooked. Not ready to eat, but a little bit cooked.” Tasty!
2) Oxygen tent
After breaking one of those pesky metatarsals in 2006, Wayne Rooney was facing the prospect of missing out on the World Cup in Germany. In a bid to speed up his recovery he slept in an oxygen tent in the weeks before the finals. We hadn't realised the pain was so intense... (we'll get our coat).
3) Calves' blood
Michael Owen has suffered just about every injury the human body is capable of sustaining so it's no surprise he has tried everything to get fit in his time. But the most bizarre must be the treatment he received in 2007 from Dr Hans Müller-Wohlfahrt of Munich. Some of his methods include the injection of calves’ blood, honey and hylart, a gel-like extract from the comb of a cockerel into patients. Must have worked like a treat, after all Owen has hardly been injured since...
4) Human ligaments
The biggest problem facing modern football is not spiralling wages or hooliganism, but the huge void that will be left when Dr Richard Steadman retires. The renowned American surgeon has saved the careers of countless footballers including Alan Shearer, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Michael Owen. One of his methods is to use ligaments from dead people to repair knee cruciate injuries.
5) Faith healers
Glenn Hoddle was much criticised for his use of 'faith healer' Eileen Drewery when he was England boss. Paul Merson and Gazza both claimed she helped them but Ray Parlour wasn't convinced.
He told FourFourTwo:
"I had a bad calf and Glenn sent me to see her. I sat in this seat, I couldn't see her - I thought she was going to come out with no clothes on or something! Anyway she placed her hands on my shoulders - I had long hair back then - and I just said: 'short back and sides please Eileen'. I never got picked for England again."
Can you remember any others? Sign in and let us know below...
Column
Crass of the Day: Why Gary Lineker should be ashamed of his xenophobic mocking of Arsene Wenger
Columnists 11:07 03/05/12Shame on Gary Lineker. His mockery, stupid French accent and derision of Arsene Wenger at the end of... Read More+
Column
Stop rewriting history: Hodgson may have got it, but Redknapp is still the better man for the job
Darren Lewis 10:45 03/05/12The revisionism surrounding Harry Redknapp this week has been an education to behold. Suddenly his f... Read More+
Column
Big Match Verdict on Chelsea 0-2 Newcastle: Torres has been transformed in a week
John Cross 22:27 02/05/12Fernando Torres has been transformed in little over a week. In fact, the Spaniard was the odd man ou... Read More+
