Nick Buckfield has vowed to bounce back a better athlete after having his career saved by Thierry Henry's surgeon.

Buckfield will miss the rest of the season after rupturing the Achilles tendon in his right ankle in training at Broadbridge Heath.

The Crawley pole vaulter had an emergency operation to sew the tendon back together by Nicola Maffuli. He must keep his foot in a cast for six weeks and will not be able to train for six months.

Buckfield said: "I'm gutted because I was planning to prove the people who were writing me off wrong at the AAAs Championships.

"I felt something go when I was on my run up and knew straight away it was bad. I rang my doctor while laying on the pole vault bed and had the operation two days later.

"Nicola is the top surgeon in Europe for this kind of injury and he has assured me I will be fine once it has fully healed.

"It is so frustrating though because I was in good shape and now I am going to miss the whole season.

"I would rather have broken my leg because at least then I would have been able to do some running once I was out of plaster but with this injury I can't risk it at all."

The set-back is another devastating blow for Buckfield who has suffered an appalling time with injuries during his career.

He fractured his pelvis in 1998 and ruptured his rectum after landing on his pole in 2004 but has fought back on both occasions to regain his place as British No. 1.

He added: "This is not the end for me. I'm determined to come back and show people I'm still the man."