Definition of Hamstring Injury

Hamstring injuries are one of the more common injuries that footballers face in their day-to-day activities. After all, it is a sport characterized by running long distances, coming into contact with one another and quick bursts of acceleration. There are three levels of hamstring injury that can afflict players, each with their own effects and level of pain.

The first level of strain includes a couple tears in the muscle and might include some discomfort/swelling. Grade two is a partial tear, with more noticeable swelling and more pain in the leg the more it moves. Grade three is a complete tear that severely affects all movement and causes noticeable swelling.

Players who have previously injured such muscles or are older are at higher risk to receive hamstring injuries. In such cases, they have to be cared for and used more precisely by their clubs. Warm-ups must be thorough, rest after games must be total and international travelling should be limited.

Fernando Torres is one player who is a good example of how hamstring injuries can change a player's career. Three times during the 2008-09 campaign, he went down with hamstring injuries, seriously affecting his goalscoring. After that year, he still scored goals, but was never the same lethal goal threat that finished only behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in the Ballon d'Or race.

While it isn't commonly considered as one of the most deadly injuries a player can face (like ACL tears and broken bones are), consistent hamstring injuries are just as deadly to a footballer's career. When players are able to overcome such injuries, both they and the club's medical teams should be applauded for their work.