Ex-Ajax youngster reveals 'what the f*ck' reaction to finding out part of his ankle bone was missing and struggle with painkillers before retiring aged 30

Van Aken, most prominently known for his stints at Eredivisie outfit Heerenveen and Championship side Sheffield Wednesday, opened up on his injury hell and provided an X-rated reaction while describing how he felt upon finding out that a part of his ankle bone was missing.

Van Aken was interviewed by ESPN Nederland, where the former Ajax youngster explained what went through his mind when he found out that a part of his ankle bone was missing while he was being operated on as a Heerenveen player in 2016.

He started by recollecting what the surgeon told him at the time: "Look! You’ve had an injection here. There’s a hole in the inside of your foot, it’s hollowed out. There’s a piece of bone missing here."

Van Aken then reflected: "When I saw that, I thought: 'I’m never going to do that again.' I had taken a cortisone injection so I could play. Now I think: 'What do you mean? What the f*ck?' It wasn’t the Champions League final, but an away match against ADO Den Haag.

"I ate [painkillers] like M&Ms. That can never be good, but I have built up a reasonable system in my body that means I no longer suffer from a pill here or there. I regularly had to stick a finger down my throat to get rid of that nasty feeling. My stools also became less than they should be."

The use of painkillers in football has become a growing concern. While common drugs like Ibuprofen and Diclofenac are still legal, their frequent use can lead to serious long-term health issues, including kidney, stomach, and intestinal problems. Many players, feeling the pressure to perform, have admitted to using painkillers just to get through matches, despite the risk of causing lasting damage. However, there have been measures undertaken to ensure the health of the players remain the priority first and foremost, as evidenced by World Anti Doping Agency's banning of Tramadol.

Several prominent players have admitted that they became dependent or were close to becoming dependent on painkillers during their playing careers. Earlier this year, former Belgian international Jan Vertonghen, who spent the majority of his career at Tottenham Hotspur, revealed that he retired out of fear that he would have to take painkillers every single day. Former Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner revealed that he became reliant on painkillers to the point where he "couldn't train without them" following a car crash in 2009, ultimately leading to a premature retirement at just 31. Meanwhile, ex-Liverpool goalkeeper Chris Kirkland opened up about his decade-long addiction to Tramadol, describing it as the equivalent of "six shots of heroin a day." Reflecting on his recovery, Kirkland acknowledged that consuming such high doses could have easily cost him his life.