Essex footballer escapes serious firework injury during game

Matas Skarna was playing football when a firework landed on the pitch near his heel, causing injury

A young footballer who narrowly escaped serious injury when a firework hit the pitch said he thought his career was over when it struck.

Matas Skarna, 16, from Hornchurch, east London, was playing for Hashtag United on Friday when the firework exploded near his ankle.

Matas, who also plays for the Lithuanian under-17 team, only joined the Essex-based club three weeks ago.

"It just felt like my leg had literally exploded," he said.

"The pain for 10 seconds was bad. At first I did not know what had happened."

He said he was immediately concerned that he had done permanent damage to his leg and might not be able to play again.

"The goalkeeper came to check my chest, how my heart was beating and apparently it was right out of my chest and he told me to calm down," he said.

The firework, thought to have come from a nearby private display, hit the ground next to the left wing-back's heel but "luckily" only burnt his sock.

The Pitsea-based club's home game against Concord Rangers was abandoned soon afterwards.

The moment when Matas Skarna fell to the ground after the firework exploded near him

Matas, who was tended to by the club's physio, did not require hospital treatment.

He said his left calf was still covered in red dots.

"I thought it would be worse. They said it's going to itch, it might hurt, but there's nothing really bad from it," he said.

Matas said he had resumed training on Monday morning at USP College in Benfleet, where he studies sports science.

The young player said he would be glad when firework events stopped.

"Every time I hear a firework I'm getting scared and my heart rate is going up all the time," he said.

But he said he was enjoying his new-found "fame" from the whole incident.

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Spencer Owen, founder of the semi-professional Isthmian League club, said: "If you've seen the footage you know how bad it could have been."

He said fireworks had landed around the pitch during the game and club personnel had gone to a house asking the occupants to hold off from lighting fireworks for the duration of the match.

The incident was reported to Essex Police.