WWE legend Stone Cold Steve Austin needs invasive surgery ‘as soon as possible’ for injury suffered FOUR DECADES ago

WRESTLING icon Stone Cold Steve Austin has revealed he needs major surgery - for an injury he suffered almost FOUR decades ago.

The 59-year-old hasn’t appeared in WWE since a cameo on the second night of Wrestlemania 38 in 2022.

Stone Cold signed to the organisation as an ambassador after retiring 21 years ago.

He was forced to step away from in-ring competition after multiple knee problems and a serious neck injury.

A football star in college, Austin suffered a torn ACL while playing for the University of North Texas in the late 1980s.

He told the podcast: "My first year at North Texas State University was in Denton, Texas.

"Running down on a kickoff coverage and I hit my guy. I was supposed to block and man, I went down.

"I’d never felt anything like what I felt in my left knee.

"I tore my ACL. It was a mop-end tear where you tear it in the middle and the edges are kind of frayed.

"They can either repair it, or not repair it. Based on the strength of my quads and my hamstrings, they didn’t repair that knee."

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Austin went on to have a successful wrestling career during the WWE's boom in the early 2000s.

But his injured knee continues to plague him to this day - and Stone Cold admits major surgery is needed "pretty quick.";

He continued: "That [football injury] what led to all my knee issues down the road.

"I’ve had ACL, PCL put in there from cadaver ligaments several years ago.

"You know, if I’m telling you like it is and I will, I need a new left knee here pretty quick.";

Austin failed to make an appearance at WrestleMania 41 earlier this year, despite reports he would make a shock comeback.