Former Rangers ace Lewis MacLeod has retired from football aged 28, after revealing he has gone through physical and mental 'trauma' for years.
MacLeod, from Newmains, says former Plymouth Argyle boss Ryan Lowe urged him to see a psychologist towards the end of his playing days and she made him realise just how much of a physical and mental struggle he had been through.
The midfielder suffered a right knee injury at Plymouth, underwent surgery in June last year, but knew even then that he was probably looking at retirement.
Despite support from former Rangers physio Steve Walker, MacLeod endured pain throughout rehab, and realised that he has been through a lot in recent years.
On seeing a psychologist, MacLeod said: "It was the first time I'd let go of everything I had held onto for years. A massive weight off my shoulders.
"Six years dealing with it all myself, not speaking about how I felt.
"She got me to take her through my career from 16, and she highlighted everything she classed as 'trauma'. There were 19 traumas in 10 years.
"I hadn't realised the effect they might've had on me.
"At that point she said 'I'm not surprised you're taking some time away from football'.
"But I still have a love for the game. I'd love to be involved in some capacity.
"The last 18 months have been dedicated to rehab. Now is a transitional period, seeing what I have to do, and taking the steps to go and do that."
MacLeod was one of the stars of Rangers' journey through the lower leagues, having broken into the first team in 2012, and signed a five-year contract extension in September of that year, but a knee injury suffered in January 2013 kept him out until the end of that season.
He started the 2013-14 season well, but again in January an adverse reaction to a viral infection affected the muscles around the heart, seriously threatening his career, and ruling him out for the rest of that season.
A serious hamstring injury in December 2014 in a 3-2 defeat against Alloa proved to be his last game for Rangers, and he left for Brentford, having scored 16 goals in 74 appearances over two-and--a-half years.
Hamstring and medial ligament injuries plagued MacLeod and he moved on to Wigan in 2019, before landing at Plymouth in 2020.
He said: "I had always been injury-prone, if you want to say that. Never small injuries, all out long periods.
"A grade-three hamstring tear, heart problem, torn ACL and torn medial ligaments. You almost brace yourself for the worst.
"Honestly, I've had that fear from when I left Rangers, and when I eventually got fit, I had it in mind, and was never the same as before.
"I've prepared myself for this. Unfortunately, I've got to a point where I can't continue.
"The surgeons say they've exhausted all avenues, other than another op, but they had no idea if it would benefit me - it might even set me back."
MacLeod added: "One thing that annoys me is the timing of when it all started to happen, and the realisation I was never going to reach the levels I should have.
"I was playing really well for Rangers, got a Scotland call-up. I did my hamstring just after that and that's what killed me.
"However, I do count myself very luck in the way I broke in at Rangers, albeit in the Third Division.
"Playing for the club my family and I support is something I will always cherish. I have great memories of my debut, playing at a full Ibrox, scoring some good goals.
"I would love to have come back and played for Rangers in the Premiership."
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