Dean Ashton is going to retire.

It seems that the striker finally admitted defeat in his battle to recover from an ankle injury. Ashton, who last played a senior match 14 months ago, has never recovered from a knock he suffered on international duty in August 2006.

The former Crewe and Norwich forward cannot play on due to chronic issues with his the ankle. The club will now file a £7million insurance claim against the Football Association, according to the London Evening Standard.

There are medical documents, that prove the player's problems began when he was injured in a tackle by Manchester City winger Shaun Wright-Phillips, who was a Chelsea player at the time.

Ashton is also likely to make a claim, although it is uncertain whether that will be against the FA or Wright-Phillips himself.