Vincent Pajot ‘has ended’ his career due to concussions | OneFootball

Dauphiné Libéré reports that Annecy midfielder Vincent Pajot, 35, has retired because of repeated concussions, drawing a line under more than 400 professional matches.

He has not played since September, his last appearance coming in the 0-2 defeat at Troyes on 26 September.

A Rennes academy graduate, he broke through on loan at Boulogne-sur-Mer in 2010-11, then spent several seasons with Rennes before joining Saint-Étienne in 2015. An important part of Christophe Galtier’s side, early concerns over concussions emerged at that time. A head knock at Bastia in 2017 led to several weeks out and a neurologist consultation.

“I think I was one of the first footballers to undergo a concussion protocol. It left me with a sensitivity, so when I take further blows to the head I get visual disturbances, a bit of dizziness, almost a loss of balance. I do ophthalmology work to train my eye and my brain. You have to be vigilant.” He said this in 2023, speaking to Dauphiné Libéré.

He later played for Angers from 2018 to January 2020 and Metz from January 2020 to 2022, before joining Annecy after their promotion to Ligue 2 in 2022. Limited this season to seven matches and one goal, and having captained the side at times in recent years, his team are enjoying a strong campaign and can still reach the Ligue 1 promotion play-offs. They face Rodez on Saturday at 20:00.

Source: L'Équipe