Wolverhampton Wanderers and Wales midfielder David Edwards has said that his seventh-month injury lay-off was down to hereditary back problems.
The 25-year-old completed his first 90 minutes in the Premier League against Wigan last week and will play his first game for Wales in more than a year against Norway in Cardiff tomorrow.
"It's a hereditary problem that has come through the family. My dad had it, my brother had it, and I think I was just a ticking time bomb," Edwards revealed.
"It was something I knew about, but when I had back pain after a game my dad mentioned about his back and my brother's, so I told the physios about that and they sent me for a scan.
"On the left, on the lower part of my spine, the disc is more or less gone and narrowed so the bones are closer together and it caused a fracture.
"I base a lot of my game on getting around the pitch and I worried it would take that away. If it had to be a choice of carry on for another five years and then not be able to move when I'm older, it would be something I'd look at."
Edwards has scored seven goals in 92 appearances for Wolves since signing from Luton Town in 2008.
