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Iain Jenkins, a former professional footballer who played at the highest levels of Scottish and international football, has revealed that his athletic career was devastated by a botched spinal operation performed by the disgraced surgeon Sam Eljamel. Jenkins described the surgery, conducted in 1999 while he was captain of Dundee United, as a dangerous gamble, saying Eljamel “played Russian roulette” with his spine. Unfortunately, complications from the procedure forced Jenkins to retire from professional football within just two years.
Sam Eljamel, who was head of neurosurgery at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee until his suspension in 2013, was also involved in private practice. Jenkins, who had previously played for Everton, Bradford City, Chester City, and earned six caps with Northern Ireland, suffered from ongoing hamstring and lower back troubles that led him to consult Eljamel at the Fernbrae Clinic in Dundee. Jenkins recalled how he was initially given a 70% chance of success for surgery on his L4 and L5 vertebrae, but his physical condition deteriorated rapidly after the operation. He said: “When you’re playing for an SPL team, your fitness needs to be 90% to 100% day-in day-out and mine dropped to about 30%.”
Jenkins spoke openly about the emotional and physical toll the operation had on his life. “It’s taken my dignity away from me, my pride, my life’s been stolen away from me,” he said. After his football career ended, Jenkins transitioned into coaching, becoming assistant manager at St Mirren, but health issues forced him to leave that role prematurely. “I left because I wasn’t physically able,” Jenkins explained, noting that both careers he pursued were cut short. Now 53 and working as a surveyor, Jenkins still suffers from chronic pain as a result of the surgery.
Currently, a public inquiry is underway looking into Eljamel’s actions, alleging harm to dozens of patients, some left with life-altering injuries. While Eljamel’s private practice cases are not part of the inquiry’s official scope, a separate independent clinical review is examining some of these incidents, with findings potentially feeding into the ongoing investigation. Suspended in 2013, Eljamel resigned in 2014 and is thought to be practicing medicine in Libya. Police are also conducting their own investigation, called Operation Stringent, which began in 2018. Jenkins has cooperated fully with this probe and is using his experience to advocate for others affected by Eljamel’s malpractice, hoping to achieve justice and raise awareness about the profound consequences of the surgeon’s negligence
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