Wrexham AFC midfielder Ollie Rathbone has made a startling admission, revealing he seriously contemplated walking away from professional football entirely during a gruelling recovery from a severe ankle injury.
A Promotion High Shattered by Injury
The 29-year-old's confession comes after a period of immense personal struggle. Rathbone had been riding a career high, having been crowned Wrexham's player of the season for his pivotal role in securing the club's promotion to League One. However, his fortunes changed dramatically during the club's pre-season tour of New Zealand and Australia.
Sustaining a serious ankle setback, Rathbone faced the prospect of missing the start of Wrexham's first Championship campaign in over forty years. The former Rotherham United player, who signed for the Red Dragons in August 2024, was restricted to just a single appearance for months, casting him into the shadows as the new season unfolded.
The Long Road Back and Pivotal Parental Support
In a heartfelt post on LinkedIn, Rathbone laid bare the emotional toll of his rehabilitation. He shared two photos: one of him limping off the pitch in pre-season, and another celebrating a 90th-minute equaliser against Watford on December 13 – his first league appearance of the term. 150 days separated the two images.
"The time in between has been by far the most difficult period of my career," Rathbone wrote. He described facing setback after setback, falling out of the team, and succumbing to self-pity. The low point came when he confessed to his parents, ex-defender Mick Rathbone and his mother, that he was close to "completely sacking it off."
Their response was a turning point. "They looked at me and said, 'Oliver that's not you and it's definitely not us,'" he recalled. They made him promise to stay positive and be ready for his chance, a vow that ultimately paved the way for his return.
A Dramatic Comeback on the Pitch
Rathbone has since silenced any doubts with a series of crucial, late interventions. After his leveller against Watford, he emerged from the bench again on Monday night against Preston North End to score the decisive second goal in a 2-1 victory at the Racecourse Ground.
Nathan Broadhead had opened the scoring for Wrexham in the 29th minute, before Rathbone's strike with just over ten minutes remaining. Alfie Devine netted a late consolation for Preston. The vital win lifted Phil Parkinson's side to 11th in the Championship, just four points off the play-off places.
Speaking after the match, manager Parkinson praised his team's mentality in backing up their Boxing Day performance. Rathbone's personal resurgence, from the brink of retirement to match-winner, now stands as one of the season's most compelling narratives for the upwardly mobile Welsh club.
