Ian Appleyard: There's only one Derek Geary... sadly for the game of football

We all know the types; they range from those who kiss the badge on the shirt one week and disappear the next, to those who waste the talent they have been born with by getting ideas above their own stations.

Yet every now and again, a player emerges from the sea of self-importance and shines out like a beacon of hope to us all.

A player who makes the most of his ability and accepts his limitations yet understands the total importance of giving 100 per cent for a club every time he pulls on the shirt.

A player like Sheffield United's Derek Geary.

It might not have commanded many headlines in the national newspapers at the time but Geary recently admitted that his career may soon be over.

A succession of knee operations have pushed his durability to the limit and doctors have even warned the 29-year-old that to continue playing presents a risk to his own long-term health.

The tough-tackling Dubliner, however, is still smiling and says he will treat every game from now on as if it could be his last.

"I might not even be alive in 10 years," he said. "I will worry about the future in the future."

He already accepts that he will probably need a knee replacement.

Some say his attitude is brave, others might be less kind – but no-one can question Geary's commitment.

Diminutive in size, but with the heart of a lion, he is one of a select group of players who have worn both the blue and the red stripes in Sheffield.

He is as popular now with the Blades supporters as he used to be with the Owls and that is because he refuses to give in and always gives his best.

Those who chant 'Geeeee—aary, Geeee----aary' when he has just run 50 yards to complete another tackle admire his

guts.

At the end of last season, it looked all over when the defender was struggling to even jog around the training field after nearly 12 months on the sidelines.

Last summer was a make-or-break juncture but his confidence in the knee slowly began to improve.

Then, due to an injury crisis at Bramall Lane ironically, he was then thrown back into the spotlight in November as a substitute in a game at Barnsley.

After completing his first 90 minutes since August 2008 last month, his team-mates formed a guard of honour outside the dressing room.

Those who have met Geary know that his demeanour can light up any room. He is unassuming, polite, down to earth, and always happy to talk football.

With a little bit more luck, he would have been capped by his country and were it not for the Blades' relegation from the Premier League three seasons ago, who knows?

The clock is now ticking but any fair-minded football supporter will hope that he keeps on going for many more years yet.

Football needs players like him. Those who appreciate what they have got and who are willing to give as much as they can in order to carry on living every schoolboy's dream.