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3rd May 2023
10:41am BST

"Looking at now, I probably shouldn't have gone myself, it probably cost me two or three years of my career," Hunt said.
"I waited four or five months and didn't have the operation until September so that was six months.
"I pretty much had Andy Murray's hip, something similar to that, bone shaved off, not as severe as that his, but six or seven months (out). I lost two seasons and fitness and the edge to get fit for it, just in my desire to play in the Euros."
Hunt also spoke about his experience at the tournament. Ireland lost all three matches in an extremely difficult group and only scored one goal.
Trapattoni's team lost to Croatia, Italy and Spain, three European heavyweights, in what was a tournament too far for many of Ireland's star players.
Hunt also experienced personal disappointment when he didn't get to play a minute at the tournament. Trapattoni promised to bring him on in the final game, but it never happened.
He still holds his former coach in the highest esteem, however.
"The results were terrible, but Trap had said to me that I was going to play, start or come on in the last game," the former Reading winger said.
"He said that to me the night before. I think the biggest regret was being injured, and not being able to show my skill set and how I wanted to play.
"He knew I was good around the place, and had probably been one of his top three most consistent players over a period of time, for his era.
"I love him to bits, how he was, how he treated me, but he let me down for that. Not so much him, the whole build-up, wanting to play in a major tournament, having behaved how I behaved, acted how I acted to get into the squad."
Alan Cawley was a guest on the show alongside Hunt and asked him did Trapattoni speak to him after not bringing him on in the game.
"But the emotion of wanting to play in a big tournament, the likes of Duffer in Saipan, all those games are through your head, to be a part of that. I'm not the only that felt that way, don't get me wrong. I think because he said it to me the night before, 'You're coming on, you'll be part of this, you deserve to play'. "I remember Darron Gibson going absolutely ballistic on the sideline, he didn't come on either, he wasn't happy, he was showing his emotion but I was going to show it in public."But I think people looked at me though, 'Why was he so upset?' But an awful lot goes into it and it was probably the frustration of not being able to get fit." Hunt's experience at Euro 2012 is a reminder of the highs and lows of professional football, and the sacrifices that players make to represent their country at the highest level. You can watch the full episode below. 18+ | gamblingcare.ie.
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