CHIPPENHAM Town’s James Guthrie says it would be dream come true if he could have a kickabout with his friend Rob Dean again.

Bluebirds midfielder Dean, 24, was last week told by surgeons he would never play football again after suffering a horrific knee dislocation in last month’s abandoned game at Hungerford Town.

Dean, pictured, is out of hospital and on the long road to recovery at home in Swindon.

Winger Guthrie, 23, said: “It was really hard news to take and obviously, you’re gutted as a mate but you have to look at it selflessly and think about what him and his family are going through.

“At the time, it was horrible to see him get hurt that badly and see him so upset. It does go through your mind that he might not play again, but it was still a massive shock to hear it.

“He’s back at home at his parents’ place because he hasn’t got any mobility around the house and he has to keep his knee elevated.

“I went over to see him on Sunday and just chilled out, watching the football with him. I think he appreciates the company and it’s just important to be there for him.

“He’s a popular lad, so there are plenty of people that want to go and see him, and he’s a strong lad too.

“He lives and breathes football, so it’s sad to have that taken away but it’s also important that he does all the rehab properly so that he can walk properly again.’’

Guthrie, who played with Dean at Highworth and Cirencester College, said: “If he could play again at any level or even if we could just go down the park and have a ping-about sometime again.

“I know that would mean so much to him. It would be amazing if he could prove the surgeons wrong.”

Guthrie confirmed the Bluebirds players hope to arrange a money-raising event to support Dean.

He added: “A charity match was one of the ideas we talked about but we’d love to try and do something for him. I’m sure we’d all do the same if any one of us got injured like that.”

Striker Lee Phillips is also hoping Dean can contradict his career-ending diagnosis.

“Before we went out last weekend (against Truro City), we said that we wanted to get the three points for him,” he said.

“He’s a great lad and you hear stories about people that have defied the doctors to play again, so I’m sure that if anyone could do it, it would be him.”

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