I fractured the ankle that I use for soccer in three differenent places including dislocation. I've got got about 10 screws and a metal plate in there, and it'll still quite a bruised colour and swollen after 2 years. I'm still not great at striking the ball, but I feel some strength coming back to me, as it hurt just to make a touch with it before. Due to the lack of kicking strength, I moved from centre defence into a defensive midfielder role, and now it's just trying to calm my nerves and play my game when I'm under pressure - but I've been praised for my man marking and tackling at least.
It's just been so positive to hear your team shout 'great tackle!' at you at that, having the enemy come up to you at the end and tell you you're a bastard, etc. I'm sure you can strengthen your achilles. At least you have a group of lads you can play with. Maybe try being a keeper if it's that bad?
Never been a fan of people hitting me, let alone for sport. Fair play to you mate. You can still do quite well at boxing past in your 40s as well which is always nice. Or you could just become a football hooligan when the super bowl's on.