Top Five Players Who Have Gone Beyond the Call of Duty

Hugo Lloris put a grimace on the face of every health and safety official in the game after playing on for Tottenham on the weekend despite being knocked unconscious by Everton's Romelu Lukaku. Whether it was brave or irresponsible is still up for hot debate, but let's look at some other footballers to have gone beyond the call of duty.

Hugo Lloris put a grimace on the face of every health and safety official in the game after playing on for Tottenham on the weekend despite being knocked unconscious by Everton's Romelu Lukaku.

The collision harped back to the incident between Petr Cech and Stephen Hunt back in 2006 which left Chelsea's keeper with a serious skull fracture. Against the wishes of the doctors, however, Lloris refused to come off and actually made an important save. Whether it was brave or irresponsible is still up for hot debate, but let's look at some other footballers to have gone beyond the call of duty.

5. Terry Butcher

One of the most iconic images of English football, this picture typifies the old-school of hard knocks.

Terry Butcher was playing in an important World Cup Qualifier against Sweden in 1989, at the heart of the England defence, when he picked up a serious cut to his forehead.

Although he received a quick-fix from the physio, the cut continued to open up, despite stitching throughout the game and it turned his once pristine England white shirt into a crimson canvas.

4. Cesc Fabregas

Poles apart from Terry Butcher in terms of playing style, but even the Butcher himself would be very proud of the Spaniard's feat in 2010.

Fabregas started for Arsenal against Barcelona in the Champions League quarter-finals first-leg despite not being 100%. He played on carrying a knock and won a penalty after a challenge from Puyol which later turned out to cause a small fracture in his leg.

He somehow scored the penalty with that broken leg, but was in immediate discomfort and was ruled out for the rest of the season.

3. Franz Beckenbauer

One of the most talented and intelligent footballers of all time, 'Der Kaiser' also proved to be one of the toughest.

In the 1970 World Cup semi-finals, in what became known as the 'Game of the Century' between West Germany and Italy, Beckenbauer fractured his clavicle after being fouled. West Germany had already used up their two permitted substitutions, so Beckenbauer carried on undeterred by wearing a sling.

Although the Germans went on to lose 4-3 after some crazy extra time, Beckenbauer's resilience remains one the greatest footballing legends ever.

2. Ally Maxwell

When compared to the other players on this list, Ally Maxwell isn't a name instantly recognisable to football fans, however, the manner in which he put his team before his health in this case is deserving of more notoriety.

In the 1991 Scottish Cup Final between Motherwell and Dundee United, Motherwell's keeper, Maxwell, suffered broken ribs and a ruptured spleen after a collision with Dundee's John Clark. He played on, however, for much of the second half and extra time, even pulling off a great save.

Motherwell won 4-3 and in an interview after the game he said he had double vision and the match was a blur after the injury.

1. Bert Trautmann

Bert Trautmann had an illustrious career with Manchester City, standing between the sticks for over 500 games between 1949 and 1964.

His most courageous moment for City, however, came in the 1956 FA Cup final in which the German keeper picked up a very serious injury after he was knocked unconscious by Birmingham's Peter Murphy. Trautmann picked himself up and carried on for the remaining 15 minutes as there were no substitutions permitted back then and made some crucial saves which saw City hold on to win 3-1.

Trautmann thought the injury would just sort itself out, but after getting an x-ray three days later, it revealed that Trautmann was playing with five dislocated vertebrae, the second of which was cracked in two. The injury could have easily cost him his life. Trautmann passed away this year at the age of 89.

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