A FORMER Premier League prodigy has been jailed for stabbing a teen with a Rambo knife after turning to crime when his career flopped.
Causso Darame left 19 year old Ronnie Evans paralysed with “life-changing injuries” after attacking him in a “vicious” robbery.
The 25-year-old, who was signed by Swansea City FC when they were in the Premier League, stole the teen’s neck chain and bracelet.
Darame has now been jailed for four years and four months after he admitted robbery and possession of a knife.
Portsmouth Crown Court heard the horror unfolded in the early hours of May 12 last year at Ken’s Fried Chicken.
Ronnie was with a pal when he clocked Darame, who had a large, Rambo-style hunting knife.
The court was told the pair “became aware” of the failed winger behind them.
As they began to run, Darame yelled after them: “I’m going to catch you, and when I catch you, I’m going to kill you.”
The thug then knifed Ronnie in the leg and snatched his jewellery before fleeing.
Ronnie suffered a huge amount of blood loss after two of his major nerves were severed.
Prosecutor Paul Fairley said: “Luckily as far as everyone in the case was concerned, the knife missed by a few millimetres the major blood vessels in his leg.”
In a victim impact statement, Ronnie said he has been left with paralysis in his leg from the knee down – meaning he cannot walk without a splint on his foot.
As a result, he has been unable to continue his work as an apprentice electrician and can no longer play tennis to a high level like he used to.
The court was told Darame was given a youth contract with Swansea City FC from the age of 15.
The footballer, who once compared himself to Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo, was then handed two-year professional contract when he turned 18.
His lawyer Daniel Reilly said he felt like a failure when his contract was terminated and began mixing with drug dealers after “struggling to cope”.
Sentencing, Judge Daniel Neill said Darame’s actions had changed the life of a man “in the prime of his youth”.
He added: “You had hoped to become a professional footballer, it didn’t work out.
“Many dreams don’t work out, many ambitions.
“By the time that your professional football contract sponsorship came to an end, you had a partner and a newborn child you felt you were failing.”
In August last year, Darame was sentenced to 28 months in prison after police found him with £1,000 worth of heroin and cocaine.
At the time, the court heard he turned to drug-dealing to make money because he refused to accept unemployment benefits.
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