The Manchester United legend still feels bad about the “horrendous” injury that “should have canceled the game”

Nicky Butt has recalled the harrowing consequences of former Coventry City defender David Busst's terrible injury against Manchester United.

The two teams met at Old Trafford towards the end of the 1995/96 Premier League season in a 1-0 home win for the hosts, but the match was stopped in the early stages.

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Busst tried to meet a coventry corner at the back post but collided with joined Denis Irwin and Brian McClair.

Opposing goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel saw what turned out to be his broken leg and ran away, covering his face with his hands in shock.

The Coventry man screamed in pain and was quickly treated by paramedics on the field before being stretchered away.

Butt He was nowhere near the injury that caused Busst's leg to become L-shaped, but he described the horrific scenes that followed.

Speaking to his former United team-mate Paul Scholes about the final weeks of his title win that season at the The best football podcastHe said: “We've beaten Newcastle, we're getting the points back.

“Anything you remember about that match, I mean, for me, the Coventry game stands out because of that horrendous leg injury to David Busst. “I don't remember much about the tackle because it was really harmless.

“But I remember the consequences and even now, talking about it, I feel bad. Because although I didn't actually see the injury, I think some guys said the bone was sticking out of the sock.

“I remember Brian McClair's reaction and everyone else's reaction, but one thing (that) sticks in my mind was that after he came out, it must have been 15 minutes on the field, after he was stretchered off. , the ground crew threw a bucket of water in the area where the injury (was).

“The blood spatter turned me on my side. I think that game should have been called, because I don't remember a tackle for 50 minutes afterward.

“I think it was a really sad, horrible game, and that was a part of the season that really resonates badly with me. It was a horrible, horrible game, and boy, I don't think he played again.”

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Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher officiated the match and told talkSPORT in 2020 how much it affected him.

“I refereed 1,245 professional matches and if I could erase one, it would be Manchester United vs Coventry on Easter Saturday '96, when I was the referee when David Busst broke his leg,” the referee said.

“It was the most horrible thing I have ever witnessed in my life, I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy, I wouldn't wish it on anyone in the world. If God allowed me one day to erase my life from my life, it would be that day and that game would not be carried out.

“I spoke to Phil Don, who was our boss at the time, I told him I didn't want to go back to Old Trafford, that they were very, very bad memories. “I didn't go back for two years and, ironically, the way he got me to come back was That changed my game on Friday.

“I was due to go to Arsenal and on Friday afternoon he told me there was a change of games. I had to go, and it was really brilliant because what he did didn't allow me to build up all week thinking about it. It was just that I had to go in there and do it.

“In the end it was a bit like riding a bike, all my fears of playing there again won't haunt me. It evaporated when you blew the whistle because the only thing you could concentrate on was the game in front of me.” you.”

Busst suffered compound fractures to the tibia and fibula of his right leg and underwent 22 operations.

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Unfortunately, the match was the last of his professional playing career, as he retired in November 1996 on medical advice.

He was offered a testimonial match against United a year later at Coventry's former home, Highfield Road, before working in the backroom at his former club and as a non-league manager.