Roma midfielder Kevin Strootman has confessed that he thought he would ‘never play again for 90 minutes’ but assured ‘I feel great now’.
Strootman’s first three years at Roma were ravaged by knee injuries and operations, but the Dutchman has remarkably shown a clean bill of health since the start of last season.
“I had the first injury and then I came back a couple of months and then I had the second and then a third without playing,” he told The Independent.
Roma midfielder Kevin Strootman has confessed that he thought he would ‘never play again for 90 minutes’ but assured ‘I feel great now’.
Strootman’s first three years at Roma were ravaged by knee injuries and operations, but the Dutchman has remarkably shown a clean bill of health since the start of last season.
“I had the first injury and then I came back a couple of months and then I had the second and then a third without playing,” he told The Independent.
“It was nearly two years that I didn’t play and that last injury was the most difficult for me. I was coming back from the operation and I did the recovery for six or seven months and then I had to have another surgery.
“That was a really difficult period. I thought ‘maybe I’m not coming back.’ People told me I wouldn’t play at the highest level anymore.
“When the doctor told me I was never going to play again for 90 minutes, yeah, that’s when you think: ‘Oh…’
“That’s really difficult. But I’m glad that I proved he was wrong. I didn’t do the surgery and think I’m going to be top again, no, it was a risk, but I took the risk.
“I feel great now and for games like this in the semi-final or the quarter-final against Barcelona…
“I was told I would never play again at this level, but this is one of the highest levels you can play as a footballer.”