EMOTIONS ran high when Nicky Weaver underwent ground-breaking knee surgery six years ago this month.

It was his last chance to save his career. And it worked.

After four failed operations in England, over a two-year period, Manchester City paid for their long-serving goalkeeper to fly to Ohio, where a replacement cartilage was transplanted into his right knee.

Weaver was finally able to call off the insurers. But celebrations over its success were tempered by the donor’s tragic story.

“I had a dead man’s cartilage put into my knee,” revealed new Burnley goalkeeper Weaver, who to this day knows precious little about the stricken young American.

“I did try to find out but they’re not allowed to divulge.

“I don’t know the circumstances but it would have been someone in their 20s I’m led to believe, so a young man’s died for whatever reason.

“All I know is that he’s had a healthy cartilage.

“Once I got round the idea in my head of what had actually gone on, it was fine.

“I just think it would have been nice to let somebody know that some good had come out of it somewhere. I know it wouldn’t have been much consolation, but they don’t give you any information at all. It’s just a donor, and that’s it.”

That career-saving cartilage has since serviced Weaver, now 30, for over 100 games, at City, Sheffield Wednesday, Charlton Athletic and Dundee United.

But there was a time when he feared he might never play again.

“Obviously I was low, and when people in England are telling you they don’t know what’s wrong with you and you’re going to have to travel halfway round the world and you’ve already had four operations on your knee it’s a pretty desperate time,” he said.

“If that hadn’t worked there’d have been nothing they could do. But it’s been brilliant.

“I got on with it, did my rehabilitation and I’ve not looked back since. I missed a few years but I’m back at the end of my career.”

Expectations never ventured as far as a return to the Premier League, until he was contacted by new Burnley boss Brian Laws when his six-month deal with Dundee United expired three weeks ago.

“To get a chance to be back involved at this level is something that I perhaps thought might not come. But once it did I’d pretty much made up my mind,” said Weaver.

“I think they wanted to bring in someone who had played a bit and was a good age. I’m 30 so I class myself as quite a good age for a keeper.

“Obviously the free transfer is attractive for managers and I was delighted to come.”

Burnley dropped into the bottom three on the eve of his arrival but Weaver doesn’t fear being cut adrift.

“If you’re down near the bottom and put two or three wins together you can shoot up to mid-table,” he said.

“Obviously it would be even better if we can stay up, but I think it’s good for the neutral.”