THERE'S STILL LIFE IN LORRAINE

SIX years ago, Paul Lorraine was told it was likely he would never play football again – but after defying the odds he’s now searching for one last opportunity.

- David Richardson

The experienced centre-back captained Ebbsfleet United, Woking and AFC Wimbledon in a proud and successful career which has spanned almost two decades.

But it almost came to an abrupt end in 2014 when playing for Whitehawk as a season-ending injury threatened to be a defining one.

“I remember the physio at the time, Paul Baskin, a wonderful man, rang me up and said ‘I don’t think you’ll play again’,” the 36-year-old recalls.

“I sat in my front room with my wife and cried that day. Steve King had signed me, you know you’re a good player when you get a call from him, he watches so many games. We were six unbeaten, six clean sheets, we were playing Bath away and my ACL snapped. It was the most painful thing I’ve had in my life.

“Paul saved my career by getting me in touch with a fantastic surgeon in Brighton, Dr Robin Turner. Whitehawk were phenomenal, they really looked after me. Steve King was outstanding, he really stood by me and the boys were excellent. I worked my socks off to get back.”

Lorraine’s career didn’t deserve to be ended so cruelly and he eventually returned after 14 months out before joining Cray Wanderers as player assistant manager and then took the same role with Punjab United in the Southern Counties East League, where he’s been for the last three seasons.

He’s now in the final straight and admits he may have played his last game already unless the right chance comes along.

Nevertheless, Lorraine, a fans’ favourite wherever he played, has plenty of highs to look back on, which started with promotion at Braintree Town under George Borg in 2006.