Obafemi Martins has admitted he could understand Alan Shearer’s frustration over his late withdrawal for the match against Stoke. “I understand why the manager was frustrated because he had to change his plans,” he said in The Guardian.
“But I woke up in so much pain that I knew I could not give 100 per cent, so I decided I couldn’t play. I didn’t want to let the team down. And, with so many important games coming up, I needed to think about staying fit for the future.”









