Asa Maloin (Christian Pederson) 2006 Duration: EP: 375 - 376, 378 | SE: 9.19 - 9.20, 9.22 Asa Maloin's path collided (literally) with Liam MacKay when his Chelsea and MacKay's Harchester were the opponents in the 2006 Carling Cup final at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium. Maloin singles out Hector Da Silva as the teams line up in the tunnel, where Liam makes it clear to Asa he is ready for him. Shortly before half time Hector is taken down by Maloin in a bad tackle, which he receives a yellow card. Liam is so incensed that it should have been a sending off he too is booked by the ref. In the second half, as soon as Maloin gets the ball Liam takes him down with the same tackle Maloin used on Hector, leaving him crippled in pain on the ground as Liam marches off the pitch. Things are more serious than Liam intended, and following a visit to Asa in hospital by Chloe and Alex, they learn no amount of operations will restore his knee to its former strength, and his career as a footballer is over. This leaves Liam, and Harchester open to legal action by Chelsea, and at a press conference Liam admits he did mean to go after Maloin after he'd already hurt Hector. With Liam the biggest story in sport, Lynda announces she will be backing him by starting legal proceedings against Asa and Chelsea. On the day Harchester are due to play Spurs, word comes through that the insurers are refusing to cover their players if another injury occurs, and each Premiership game is called off one by one bringing football to a stand still. The outcome is that UEFA will only provide cover for accidental injuries meaning Harchester must drop their case against Maloin, and Liam must receive a lifetime ban from football. As Liam grieves for his career, Asa pays him a visit straight out of hospital, where there isn't much love lost, but admits he respects Liam's honesty over the whole event. Asa later goes on TV to issue a surprising defence of Liam, saying it was the nature of the game why he has ended up like this, and admits his own truth. He did intend to hurt Hector, but only so he'd think twice about taking the ball, and if UEFA are banning Liam for what he did, they shouldn’t because he is just as guilty. Harchester take their case back to UEFA and are offered a deal - they will drop the ban only to proceed with their own inquiry at the end of the season.