'A serious injury changes you in many small ways, and then in one big one in particular. Your fitness becomes precarious with all the changes that come with one big injury.” Photo: AP/Matt Dunham.
My fateful injury was on 14 January 2009, on a cold evening at Roots Hall in an FA Cup third round replay against Southend. That evening, my knee completely buckled, and in one twist, I tore the anterior cruciate ligament, medial collateral ligament, and posterior cruciate ligament.
At 27, I would never have been the same footballer. The surgeon did a wonderful job of getting me back to play for another ten years. In less than 18 months I will win another FA Cup with Chelsea and reach the third World Cup final of my career. I am very happy with everything that I had in football before that night, as well as after. Even earlier, I knew that my knee was hanging by a thread, and knowing this helped me come to terms with how the injury affected my career.
A serious injury changes you in many small ways, and then, in particular, in one important one. Your fitness becomes unreliable due to all the changes that come from one big injury. For example, I found myself stretching thigh muscles that I had never had problems with before. I played 39 more games for Chelsea when I returned at the end of September 2009 and that was my last season at the club. But for the rest of my career, I will be doing my fitness.
'For the rest of my career, I caught would themselves in pursuit of their physical form. Credit: Getty Images/Jamie McDonald
This meant that I could be there for five weeks and then be out for five weeks. Once I recovered from what was preventing me from playing, I needed to regain my playing edge and regain my place in the team. I felt how the attitude towards me of different coaches, under whose guidance I played, was changing. They began to wonder if they could rely on me. I understood why.
“I was looking for a magic pill that would solve all my problems”
I tried everything to get back to the player I was. I was looking for a magic pill that would solve all my problems. I traveled around New York and Europe to meet with experts. I have spoken to many fitness and rehabilitation coaches. I convinced myself that the answer was out there somewhere.
I mention this because what ended up solving my problems was accepting what I could and couldn't do. Footballers tend to find out about their body later in their career when they give it a problem. For most of the current generation, the pressure is even stronger. Even for those who are relatively uninjured, social media and the focus on players' lives means there are always people telling them they can be bigger, stronger, more resilient.
This summer we're sure to see more Instagram videos of players training with their personal trainers, on beaches, in gyms and in spacious gardens. I admire the professionalism of the players. The old idea that summer is a holiday is long gone. But I advise you to be careful when it comes to players who train too much outside the sight of their club.
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Injured players, desperate for a fix, have long sought treatment and fitness programs outside of their clubs. Now young footballers are also under pressure to work harder and harder. The standard in the Premier League is high. The temptation to make yourself bigger and better is hard to resist, and it comes from a good place. But there are also dangers.
The club with which you have signed a contract must control the situation. They are the ones who have the most detailed data about your exit as a player, and they own your registration. The medical department needs to have a clear line of responsibility, and for this to be possible, they need to approve all parts of the process.
I'm sure there are a few dedicated independent coaches, but if there was anything that What I found as a player is that everyone thinks they have a solution to your problems. I have lost count of coaches and fitness coaches who told me they could solve my problems. There is money in football and it attracts people from all kinds of sports.
I remember the period at West Ham when we fought for form and results. To be honest, we were a bit of a rabble. We were not good enough either technically or tactically. For a couple of days we worked out with a speed and agility coach with a military background. I thought time was wasted when we could work with the ball and improve tactically.
“I'd rather take off my boots and play football”
Later in my career, when I was in the gym at Chelsea one day doing a program that I was told would help me, José Mourinho stopped me. That was the first time I heard his famous phrase, which he said to many players who spent too much time training off the field. He reminded me that the best pianists in the world don't get better by running around the piano or trying to pick it up.
Over the past ten years of my career, I've gotten better at handling my limitations. This often meant that I didn't practice as much or play differently. By the end of my career with Coventry City and the Tampa Bay Rowdies, I was able to get through the game thanks to my experience and my technical ability. My mobility mattered less.
I had been a Premier League player for ten years and was playing for England with 53 caps when I got injured in 2009. I will play another 300 games. Football can be cruel. Your body doesn't always let you do what it once did. But a smart player can find a solution. At 41, I still don't like to spend a lot of time in the gym. I'd rather take off my boots and play football.
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