David Busst
{{EngvarB|date=October 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{short description|English association football player and manager (born 1967)}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = David Busst
| image =
| caption =
| fullname = David John Busst{{Hugman|2787|Dave Busst|access-date=14 January 2021}}
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1967|6|30|df=y}}
| birth_place = Birmingham, England
| height = {{convert|1.85|m|order=flip}}{{cite web |url=https://www.premierleague.com/players/127/David-Busst/overview |title=David Busst: Overview |publisher=Premier League |access-date=14 January 2021}}
| position = Centre-back
| currentclub = Coventry City (football community manager)
| youthyears1 =
| youthclubs1 =
| years1 = 1991–1992
| clubs1 = Moor Green
| caps1 =
| goals1 =
| years2 = 1992–1996
| clubs2 = Coventry City
| caps2 = 50
| goals2 = 4
| years3 = 2008–2009
| clubs3 = Highgate United
| caps3 =
| goals3 =
| years4 = 2023–
| clubs4 = Leamington Veterans
| caps4 =
| goals4 =
| totalcaps = 50
| totalgoals = 4
| manageryears1 = 2000–2003
| managerclubs1 = Solihull Borough
| manageryears2 = 2003–2006
| managerclubs2 = Evesham United
}}
David John Busst ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|b|j|uː|s|t}} {{respell|BYOOST}}; born 30 June 1967) is an English football manager and former professional player who played as a centre-back from 1992 until 1996.
Having started his career with non-League Moor Green, he moved to Premier League side Coventry City in 1992. Having made over 50 appearances for the Sky Blues, he suffered a broken leg during a match with Manchester United in 1996 which ended his career. His injury is often considered the worst in the history of the Premier League.{{cite news |last1=Wollaston |first1=Steve |title=Eduardo, Aston Villa's Luc Nilis, and David Busst - The worst injuries football has seen |url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aston-villa-nilis-larsson-injury-10438818 |accessdate=15 October 2020 |website=Birmingham Live |date=23 April 2020}}{{cite web |url=http://bleacherreport.com/articles/338925-10-of-the-worst-football-injuries-ever/page/11 |title=1. David Busst – 10 of the Worst Football Injuries Ever |website=Bleacher Report |date=3 February 2010 |accessdate=15 June 2013 |first=Umer |last=Tariq}}{{cite web |url=http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/opinion/blogs/mirror-football-blog/Aaron-Ramsey-Eduardo-David-Busst-Petr-Cech-and-the-Top-10-worst-footballing-injuries-of-all-time-article338653.html |title=Ouch! The Top 10 worst footballing injuries of all-time |website=The Mirror Football Blog |date=28 February 2010 |accessdate=15 June 2013 |first=Ian |last=Cruise}}
He moved into management following his retirement with Solihull Borough in 2001, and later took charge of Evesham United. He came out of retirement in 2008 as defensive cover for Highgate United.
Early life
Busst was born in Birmingham, West Midlands.
Club career
Busst played as a defender, and started his career at non-League side Moor Green in Birmingham, before moving to Premier League side Coventry City in 1992. He made his professional debut in an FA Cup match against Norwich City on 13 January 1993, and his Premier League debut three days later against the same side.{{cite web |url=http://www.11v11.com/players/david-busst-24457/ |title=David Busst |website=11v11.com |publisher=AFS Enterprises |accessdate=15 June 2013}} He made ten league appearances in his first professional season,{{cite web |url=http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/players/profile.career-history.html/david-busst |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130616052428/http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/players/profile.career-history.html/david-busst |url-status=dead |archive-date=16 June 2013 |title=Player Profile – David Busst |publisher=Premier League |accessdate=15 June 2013 }} and went on to make 50 league appearances in total for the club, scoring four goals.
=Injury=
Busst's professional playing career came to an end on 8 April 1996, while playing for Coventry against Manchester United. Two minutes into the match, having ventured forward after his team won a corner, he collided with United players Denis Irwin and Brian McClair, resulting in extensive compound fractures to both the tibia and fibula of his right leg.{{cite news | title=Cantona keeps United on top as Busst injury casts shadow | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/htmlContent.jhtml?html=/archive/1996/04/09/sfgmau09.html | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080229005527/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/htmlContent.jhtml?html=%2Farchive%2F1996%2F04%2F09%2Fsfgmau09.html | last=Davies | first=Christopher |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph | date=9 April 1996 | accessdate=18 October 2007 | archivedate=29 February 2008 | location=London | url-status=dead | df=dmy-all }} The match was delayed for nine minutes while Busst was treated and removed from the field on a stretcher, and blood was cleaned off the grass with water and sand. Manchester United's goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel vomited on the pitch upon seeing the injury.{{cite news | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/2353993/Busst-counts-his-blessings-and-looks-ahead.html | title=Busst counts his blessings and looks ahead | date=18 January 2005 | accessdate=18 October 2007 | author=Philip, Robert |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph | location=London}} Schmeichel later said that the injury preyed on his mind until two years later, when he and Busst met and discussed the accident.{{cite web |url=https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/peter-schmeichel-one-one |title=Peter Schmeichel: One-on-One |website=FourFourTwo |date=1 August 2003 |author= }} The injury is often described as one of the worst in the history of football.
Busst's injuries were so severe that at one point he ran the risk of having his leg amputated. While in hospital, he contracted methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which caused further damage to the tissue and muscle in the injured part of his leg.{{cite news | url=http://football.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,2259653,00.html | title=Eduardo's biggest pain will be fear his career is over | author=Busst, David | date=25 February 2008 | accessdate=25 February 2008 |newspaper=The Guardian | location=London}} Despite having 22 operations, Busst remained a member of the official Coventry squad for a further seven months, but never played professionally again, and he retired from the game on 6 November 1996 on medical advice, as his doctors had warned him that he would never regain sufficient fitness to play professional football. It was not the break itself that ended his career, but the following infections.{{cite news | title=Busst backs Eduardo to play again | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/a/arsenal/7263029.stm |website=BBC Sport | date=25 February 2008 | accessdate=25 February 2008 }} Just weeks before his retirement, Busst had been hoping to return to training the following spring and be ready for first team action by the start of the 1997–98 season.{{cite news| url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/busst-back-on-road-to-recovery-1358837.html |title=Busst back on road to recovery | location=London |newspaper=The Independent | date=17 October 1996 |accessdate=15 June 2013}}
His testimonial match, played on 16 May 1997 against Manchester United, was a sell-out.{{cite news| url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/testimonial-for-david-busst-1261841.html | location=London |newspaper=The Independent | title=Testimonial for David Busst | date=16 May 1997}} England internationals Paul Gascoigne and Les Ferdinand guested for Coventry in the game, which was also the last game that United captain Eric Cantona played before he announced his retirement as a player two days later.{{cite web |url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/eric-cantona-20-facts-697672 |title=Eric Cantona: 20 facts |newspaper=Manchester Evening News |date=24 November 2012 |accessdate=15 June 2013}}
Post-retirement career
Since his retirement, Busst has worked for Coventry's backroom staff, working for their Football in the Community programme, of which he became director.{{cite web | url=http://www.sbitc.org/about_us.html | title=About Us |publisher=Sky Blues in the Community | accessdate=15 June 2013 | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120430025709/http://sbitc.org/about_us.html | archivedate=30 April 2012 | df=dmy-all }}
Busst also trained as a coach, earning UEFA coaching badges.{{cite web |url=http://www.where-are-they-now.co.uk/footballer/BUSST+David/4042 |title=BUSST, David – Footballers |website=Where Are They Now? |accessdate=15 June 2013}} He went on to manage the non-League sides Solihull Borough (from 2000{{cite web |url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Football%3A+A+CAREER+BUSST+FOR+DEFENDER.-a060514740 |title=Football: A CAREER BUSST FOR DEFENDER. |newspaper=Daily Mirror |location=London |date=2 February 2000 |accessdate=15 June 2013 |via=TheFreeLibrary.com}} until 2003) and Evesham United (from 2003{{cite web |url=http://www.gresleyfc.com/news/article/1491 |title=David Busst – new manager at Evesham |publisher=This is Worcestershire |date=8 November 2003 |accessdate=15 June 2013}} to 2006.{{cite web |url=http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/sport/9375388.West_quits_Evesham/ |title=West quits Evesham |newspaper=Worcester News |date=21 November 2011 |accessdate=15 June 2013 |first=Michael |last=Reeves}}) He briefly acted as defensive cover in 2008 for Midland Combination Premier Division side Highgate United, where his brother Paul was the club's assistant manager.
As of 2024, Busst also plays for local side Leamington Veterans, alongside his fellow former Coventry player Dele Adebola.{{Cite news |last=Johnston |first=Neil |date=15 March 2024 |title='Somebody help me' - the injury that shocked football |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/68492208 |access-date=18 March 2024 |work=BBC Sport |language=en-GB}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Busst, David}}
Category:Footballers from Birmingham, West Midlands
Category:English men's footballers
Category:Men's association football defenders
Category:Moor Green F.C. players
Category:Coventry City F.C. players
Category:Highgate United F.C. players
Category:Premier League players
Category:Southern Football League players