'Why me again?' - Ex-Sunderland and Wigan Athletic man suffers heartbreaking season-ending injury

Former Sunderland and Wigan Athletic man Charlie Wyke has reacted after suffering a season-ending injury.

The striker, who has netted 130 career goals, spent last season at Rotherham United but was relegated from the Championship while on loan from Wigan Athletic, who failed to challenge for promotion from League One. The Latics then released Wyke at the end of 2023-24.

The former Middlesbrough man, who netted 42 goals in all competitions for the Black Cats between 2018 and 2021, became a free agent last summer before signing for Carlisle United in League Two, where he was later joined by ex-Sunderland and Rangers winger Jordan Jones.

Last weekend, Wyke, 31, was involved in a horrific collision that ended his season while playing for Carlisle United against Cheltenham Town. The ankle injury has come as a blow to the striker after his return to fitness following a heart attack three years ago while a Wigan Athletic player.

"It's a really bad one...I've fractured my fibula, all the ligaments and tendons are ruptured," said Wyke, in an exclusive interview with our sister publication, Wigan Today. "As soon as it happened, I had shooting pains in my shin where the bone had snapped... I looked down and my ankle was facing the wrong way... it was horrendous, to be honest.

"After everything that's happened over the last few years...I must be the unluckiest person on the planet. All I can think of at the moment is: 'Why has this happened to me again... how unlucky can one person be’? I'd just started to feel good about myself again; it was starting to click on the field, and then this happens.

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"Having been made captain, I've been trying to rally the troops...with the team struggling as well, they need our help, and I'm not going to be able to give it to them. It's part of life, but I'm going to have to be strong, there's nothing else you can do in this situation.

"I know I'm going to have to speak to a few people because I'm under no illusions as to how tough the next few months are going to be. But the people I'm going to be leaning on...my family, it's so hard for them as well to see me like this, lying in bed screaming in pain all the time. I'm booked in for the operation on Monday, but it keeps getting delayed because the swelling's so bad."

Wyke also revealed that he had been getting support from former Sunderland teammate Jones and had also received messages from ex-Black Cats duo Will Grigg and Max Power.

"I've always said with everything that happened with my heart, I've never been the same person as before," he added. I'm either really high or really low, there's not usually anything in between. I know I need to stay positive, and I've had some good conversations with the gaffer (Mike Williamson)...to be fair, he came with me to the hospital, and he sat with me for eight hours, which was unbelievable of him.

"Jordan Jones has also been sitting around my house for the last few days, he's obviously one of my best mates, everyone knows his character off the pitch and he's been there for me. He only lives 10 minutes away, he drives past on the way to training, so I'll probably end up getting sick of him before too long!

"And I have to say I've had so many messages from the Wigan lads... Jason Kerr, Scott Smith, Harry McHugh, James Carragher, Jonny Smith, Cal Mac, Jimmy Barrow, Jack Winnard... so many others... Callum Lang, Josh Magennis, Stephen Humphrys, Max Power, Tom Naylor, Will Grigg... I could go through them all really.

"We had such a close group at Wigan, and I can't thank the lads enough for sending their messages, they've really kept my spirits up... it really means a lot. I suppose when you're not getting messages, that's probably when you know you've not been a good team-mate, but I've been absolutely overwhelmed. But probably 80 per cent of all the players I came into contact with at Wigan have been in touch, and I can't tell you how much that's meant to me and my family."

Carlisle boss Williamson has also spoken of his upset at Wyke's plight. “It’s obviously disappointing news for Charlie and for all of us," he said. “He’s our captain and he’ll be missed, but we know how tough he is and we’re all right behind him. He’s got the complete support of everyone at the football club, and we’ll help him through this in whatever way we can.”