‘I FEARED I WOULD NEVER PLAY AGAIN'

JAMES Chester couldn’t play for Stoke last week because his knee flared up and he admits there have been days when he feared he wouldn’t play again.

- John Wragg

The Potters got by without Chester in their defense, holding promotion-chasing Reading to a goalless draw and probably just about deserving to win it.

For Chester, it’s a daily personal battle he has to keep winning.

His right knee is shot. A damaged cartilage hurt every time he ran and now bone bangs on bone.

Chester played on for Aston Villa during all the damage but then had to sit it out, repair, rest and recuperate for nearly a year before playing again.

“I must admit that when I was injured during my time at Villa I wasn’t sure if I would play again,” says Chester, 31, who joined Stoke initially on loan and now has a one-year contract.

“But then I got fit and believed I could still play. I spoke to Stoke’s manager, Michael O’Neill, and said I thought I’d be ok but how often was still a question mark, to be honest.

“But I’ve been really pleased with how it’s gone and I haven’t missed too many games.”

Chester cost Aston Villa £9m from West Brom in August 2016 and the fact that he played so many games while injured because Villa were so short of center-halves brought this tribute from John Terry when he left a year ago.

“Loved playing alongside this man. Rolls-Royce. Unbelievable player and man. Legend. Good luck, partner.”

Chester’s final league game for Villa was in the Championship, a 2-1 home win over Ipswich in January 2019.

He had two final outings in the Carabao Cup 5-0 win over Liverpool’s kids in December 2019 and an FA Cup defeat at Fulham in January 2020.

The knee got a good testing on loan at Stoke last February with his first three games in seven days.