She needed £5,000 for the surgery
Gary Lineker donated £3,000 to Doncaster Rovers Belles player Sophie Scargill so that she could afford surgery after getting injured.
Scargill ruptured the lateral meniscus ligament – causing damage to her ACL and LCL – during a training session last month.
Despite coming under the Doncaster Rovers name, the club are an amateur fourth tier outfit and couldn’t afford to help pay for her surgery.
The Belles captain was told that she would have to wait two years on the NHS, which could have signalled the end of her career.
Therefore, Scargill opted for private surgery and started a Crowdfunding page in order to help raise the £5,000 she needed to pay for the operation.
Speaking to the Yorkshire Post, she said, “I was told I had insurance but that was only £250 and doesn’t even cover the MRI scan which was £350.
“I’m not bashing the NHS at all, but I wouldn’t be able to wait two years for the surgery because my mental health would be on the floor.
“When the doctor said it would massively increase the chances or never playing again, I panicked and went private, then realised I don’t have the £5,000.
“Lots of people told me to do crowdfunding so I didn’t have to take out a loan.”
She was reportedly offered a £5,000 loan from the club, but had already made over £2,000 so decided to carry on fundraising.
On Friday, the 26-year-old had accumulated £2,128 in donations, with Rovers mens players James Coppinger, Ben Whiteman and Matty Blair all contributing.
Wow. Speechless. Can’t quite believe any of this.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone that has so generously helped me reach my target.@GaryLineker your unbelievable donation means I can now start my recovery process.@JayMitchinson @NWestbyYPSport thank you ☺️ https://t.co/dUdzfNf7DN
— Sophie Scargill (@sophies_8) October 15, 2021
After hearing about Scargill’s situation, Lineker paid the remainder of the costs.
Posting on the Just Giving page, the former Barcelona striker wrote, “I see you need another £3000. It’s my pleasure to help. Hope you’re back playing soon.”
The Rovers Belles player took to social media to express her gratitude for the Match of the Day host’s gesture.
“Wow. Speechless. Can’t quite believe any of this,” she said on Twitter.
“Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone that has so generously helped me reach my target.
“Gary Lineker your unbelievable donation means I can now start my recovery process.”
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