Ex-Dundee Utd captain claims rogue surgeon ruined his career

A former Scottish Premiership and international footballer said his playing career was ruined by disgraced brain surgeon Sam Eljamel.

Iain Jenkins said Eljamel "played Russian roulette" with his spine during the 1999 private operation carried out while he was captain of Dundee United.

Subsequent complications forced him to retire as a player within two years.

A public inquiry into Eljamel, who harmed dozens of patients, leaving some with life-changing injuries, is currently under way.

Eljamel was head of neurosurgery at Dundee's Ninewells Hospital until his suspension in December 2013, but also carried out private work.

Jenkins played 28 games as a full-back for Dundee United, after spells at Everton, Bradford City and Chester City, as well as six caps for Northern Ireland.

But he said his career changed in "one split moment" when Eljamel performed the surgery at Dundee's private Fernbrae Clinic.

He said: "To say it nearly broke me would be an understatement.

"It's taken my dignity away from me, my pride, my life's been stolen away from me.

"I was a professional athlete and I feel that went rapidly.

"I'm really angry and I suppose I would like an answer as to why (this happened)".

Jenkins started experiencing hamstring and lower back problems in 1998 while at Dundee United.

He said he met the "charming and professional" Eljamel at Fernbrae Hospital.

Jenkins said: "He gave me a 70% chance of success and he was quite confident that the operation on my L4 and L5, which was decompressed disc and spine, would be successful."

Jenkins said he "expected a few niggles" following the operation, but his fitness started to deteriorate rapidly and he "knew nothing had changed".

He said: "When you're playing for an SPL team, your fitness needs to be 90% to 100% per-cent day-in day-out and mine dropped to about 30%.

"He actually opened my body up and played Russian roulette with my spine, that's basically what he did.

"Within the space of two years and three further operations down the line I had to retire from professional football."

Eljamel's private practice work is not included in the public inquiry's terms of reference.

However, some private patients' cases have been looked at as part of a separate independent clinical review into Eljamel and these may be included in the public inquiry.

The inquiry expects to hear evidence from many former patients affected by the surgeon in autumn.

Following his suspension, Eljamel resigned in 2014 and is now believed to be operating in Libya.

A police probe into Eljamel's actions, called Operation Stringent, was launched in 2018.

After retiring as a player, Jenkins forged a new career as a coach, eventually becoming assistant manager at St Mirren - but that too was cut short.

Jenkins said at that point his "body started to crumble."

He said: "It came out that I'd left St Mirren for personal reasons.

"To this date that's what people thought, but I left because I wasn't physically able.

"So I've had two careers, two professions basically, taken away from me."

The 53-year-old, who still lives in Dundee, now works as a surveyor.

He said he still suffers from chronic pain as a result of the rogue surgeon's operation.

Jenkins is among dozens of patients believed to have been left with life-changing injuries by Eljamel, but until recently the former player thought he had just been unlucky.

He said: "I was just sat watching the TV one evening and his face appeared.

"(I thought) I know him - that's the boy who operated on my spine.

"And then I hit a few stories that were connected to why he was appearing on my TV screen, he had botched other operations up."

Jenkins contacted police and has given evidence as a part of Operation Stringent.

He said he would like to see justice for the people affected by Eljamel's actions.

He said: "I had a good career ahead of me, I was playing at the top of my game and it was rapidly taken away from me.

"So, I have a little bit of a platform here, and I have read all the stories from people who have been affected.

"And if I can use a very small percentage of this platform to put out and support and try to get answers, then ultimately that's what I'm here for today."