The Blades went down to a 3-0 defeat with former Hawthorns star Robert Hulse colliding with keeper Petr Cech and as a result broke his leg in two places and feared it would end his career.
‘I knew as soon as I hit the ground that I’d broken something,’ Hulse told The Sheffield Star.
‘I looked down at my left leg and I could see it going one way and then the other. Also, I could see the fans behind the goal and they were calling for someone to come over straight away so that just confirmed it.
‘Then Petr Cech came to me and reassured me that everything was okay, that assistance was coming, and when our physio Dennis got to me, I told him, ‘That’s it – my leg has gone’.
‘When I was in the medical room at the ground, they were talking about a suspected double fracture, and I’m not going to deny there is a moment when you worry that you’re not going to play again.
‘When all the confusion dies down, you get your head around things. I feel a lot better about things now. The surgeon told me that it was a clean break and that it was actually better that I have a double fracture, which surprised me.
‘I’m just looking forward to working hard on my rehab and coming back as good as new.’
Hulse was signed by the Baggies from Crewe Alexandra in July 2003 for a reported fee of £750,000. He played just 35 games (plus 11 as a substitute) and scored no more than 13 goals before joining Leeds United after a successful loan spell in May 2005.
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