Fletcher retires after return from head injury

Alex Fletcher made 11 appearances for Weston-super-Mare last season after returning to football

Striker Alex Fletcher has retired from football just over one year after returning to the pitch after suffering a serious head injury during a game.

The 25-year-old Weston-super-Mare forward said he was "grateful" but "didn't feel the same player" as he was before his accident.

"For me carrying on playing football would be one step too far and I'm really gutted about it," Fletcher said in a post on Instagram.

Fletcher crashed into concrete advertising hoardings during a National League South game in November 2022 while playing for Bath City and needed emergency surgery and was left in a coma.

He returned to playing last August before signing for Weston-super-Mare in October, where he made 11 appearances last season, scoring once, and also spent time on loan with Tiverton.

"I think I owed it to myself to get back on the pitch, that really did drive my recovery," Fletcher said.

"I felt like if I had that opportunity to return to the pitch stripped away from me I wouldn't have been able to deal with that emotionally.

"Since I've made my recovery back on the pitch there was something about my game that was missing."

Fletcher began his career in Plymouth Argyle's academy and went on to make 24 first-team appearances for the club and has also had spells with Aldershot Town and Torquay United during his career.

He also took up a role with the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) in their Brain Health department last summer, visiting clubs to help players understand the importance of looking after their brains.

Fletcher had to relearn to walk and is also permanently deaf in his left ear. He said he had also experienced issues with his balance, coordination and timing.

"All three of those components for football is the biggest part of what made me a good player," he said.

Weston-super-Mare manager Scott Bartlett said Fletcher had "taken everything in his stride".

“He is an intelligent person with a great family, who recently had a very important new addition. That is obviously the most important thing," he said.

“I have not known Alex for long in the grand scheme of things but he had made an impression on me and the rest of our club."