Wigan Athletic old-boy quits at 28 due to injury

Macleod, who spent the 2019-20 campaign with Latics, making a dozen appearances, was dogged by injuries throughout his career.

After being release by Latics and moving on to Plymouth, he underwent knee surgery in June last year, but has eventually been forced to call it quits.

“I had always been injury-prone, if you want to say that," he said.

"Never small injuries, all out long periods - a grade three hamstring tear, heart problem, torn ACL and torn medial ligament.

"Unfortunately, I’ve got to a point where I can’t continue.

“The surgeons say they’ve exhausted all avenues, other than another op.

"But they’d no idea if it would benefit me. It might even set me back.”

During an interview with the Daily Record, Macleod even recalls an incident during his days at Brentford - who paid Rangers £1.3millio for his services in 2014 - when he feared setting foot on the pitch.“When the manager asked how I felt I found myself almost lying, saying I was good even though, deep down, I wasn’t," he said.“Brentford got to the play-offs against Middlesbrough, I was on the bench.

"I don’t know if it was because they’d paid that money, they wanted people to see me involved.

"I kid you not, I couldn’t run over a jog. A midfielder went down in five minutes, I got told to warm-up. I thought, ‘Please God, don’t put me on’.

"I knew I wouldn’t have lasted. It was a horrible feeling, the most stressed I’ve ever been. I was pretending to myself, to physios, which was wrong in hindsight.“But I felt I owed them because of the transfer fee and I’d do too much too soon, try to make myself available."

Thankfully, Macleod is now making great strides in terms of his mental health, after being put in touch with a psychologist.

“It was the first time I’d let go of everything I’d held in for years," he added.

"A massive weight off my shoulders.”