THE injury which saw Patrick Miller stretchered off in Oxford United’s midweek game ended the referee’s career.

The official fell awkwardly in the second half of United’s 2-0 defeat to Hartlepool United at the Kassam Stadium.

Miller was taken by ambulance to the John Radcliffe Hospital with what a ruptured patella tendon.

As the Bedfordshire referee was due to hang up his whistle at the end of the season, the injury means Tuesday’s game was his last.

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United physiotherapist Andrew Proctor treated Miller on the pitch, which was a first in his career.

He said: “Our first fears were internal structural damage, because he heard a loud pop.

“You’re not going to do a lot of assessment, it’s just stabilising him and that’s why we got the paramedics on and strapped him up.

“As a health practitioner you just deal with whoever is on the field of play.

“It’s no different if two guys from the opposition go down, I’d go on and help.”