Positive Fraser Looks To Future After Career Of Highs And Lows

Fraser Franks didn’t know it at the time but his goal that set Newport County on their way to a 4-1 win over Notts County last February would come in his last game of football.

- Matt Badcock

Within ten days, the former AFC Wimbledon, Welling, Luton, Stevenage and England C defender would be told by doctors he had to retire aged just 28 because of a heart condition. He was devastated.

Franks had just captained Newport to a famous FA Cup third round win against Leicester. A rolled ankle in the next game kept him out but, despite being not fully fit, he managed to come on as a sub in the next round against Manchester City.

A few days later, against Notts, he felt awful all game and, with ten minutes to go, had to come off. The next day he kept feeling hot and cold, and took himself to bed. Then the chest pain started, palpitations and he struggled to catch his breath. Wife Stacey, seven months pregnant, took him straight to hospital.

An infection around the heart flared up and an issue with his aorta was diagnosed before being confirmed by two separate specialists. And that was that.

But anyone familiar with Franks’ career will know how he responds to setbacks. With his daughter Nellie soon to arrive in the world, he didn’t spend time feeling sorry for himself.

Now he’s scouting for Bristol City while studying a Sporting Directors degree at Salford University. Franks is also working for a company delivering mentoring and helping young players at Premier League and EFL clubs on the perils of social media and the mental side of the game.

“A lot of the talks I’m doing for the academies, I’m looking back to see what I have done,” Franks tells The NLP. “I’m proud that I was released by clubs and bounced back.”

Franks spent most of his childhood at Chelsea before joining Brentford. He was on the first team bench a lot but never really broke into the team.