Manchester United left-back Luke Shaw has revealed that "he was really close" to having his leg amputated after suffering a double fracture in September 2015.
Shaw, who was this week called up to the England squad for the first time in 17 months, missed a year of action while recovering from the injury sustained in a Champions League tie against PSV Eindhoven.
The 23-year-old underwent surgery to remove two blood clots and rectify the damage, the scars of which he still carries today.
Speaking ahead of England's meeting with Spain at the weekend, where he is looking to earn his ninth cap, Shaw told reporters: "I was really close to losing my leg. I didn't know that until six months later when the doctor told me.
"At the time, they were thinking about flying me back. If I'd flown back, I would probably have lost my leg because of the blood clots in the leg. I have got two scars down my leg where they had to cut it open and pull them out.
"I feel really strong now and my right leg is as it was before my leg break. But I had a lot of complications with my leg. That was a really hard moment for me in my career. That was in the past. I don't care about that any more. I care about the here and now."
Shaw has started all four of Man United's Premier League games so far this season.
