FA agree Ashton settlement

Former West Ham striker Dean Ashton and the FA have agreed an out-of-court settlement over his injury.

FA and former West Ham striker agree out-of-court settlement

Former West Ham striker Dean Ashton and the FA have agreed an out-of-court settlement over the injury he suffered while on England duty. The 27-year-old sued the FA after he was forced to retire following a lengthy battle against the ankle injury picked up during a training session in August 2006 following a tackle by Shaun Wright-Phillips. He then retired in December 2009 following a recurrence of the injury, although the amount of compensation he will receive has not been announced following Wednesday's settlement. The FA said in a statement: "The FA is pleased to announce that the legal proceedings brought by Dean Ashton following his unfortunate injury during training the day before his debut for England in August 2006 have been settled upon terms mutually acceptable to the parties and their insurers. "It is a term of the settlement that no further statement will be made by any of theparties." Ashton - who began his career at Crewe and moved to Upton Park from Norwich City in January 2006 for £7.25million - played for the Hammers following his injury and won his sole England cap in 2008. But a recurrence of the injury led to his surgeon to advise him to retire or risk such damage he would be unable to walk. The Hammers are thought to be preparing their own compensation claim against the FA for as much as £10.5million.