"When I ruptured my Achilles, I was on such a high [before it happened], so after that I had a hard time mentally. But I was still young, I still had time to come back, so I wasn't too low. You still want to push in club football with the hope of maybe getting a sniff. But I just completely forgot about it and was being a fan of the team instead."
"If you have got good people around you it is going to help you so much, but the main thing comes from your self drive. That belief, to overcome challenges, is paramount in sport and in life - that you have this mentality in overcoming challenges. When he [Tuchel] came into Chelsea and he spoke to me about playing wing-back, I said no way - but I ending up playing there anyways."
Ruben Loftus-Cheek last played for England in November 2018 after featuring in the World Cup semi-final squad. He ruptured his Achilles in 2019 while playing for Chelsea and subsequently dropped out of the England reckoning. He joined AC Milan in 2023 and has made 71 appearances, scoring 11 goals and providing three assists. The injury caused a prolonged mental struggle that took about two years to overcome. Strong support networks and personal self-drive underpinned his recovery. Thomas Tuchel used him in unconventional roles at Chelsea, including as a wing-back.
Read at www.bbc.com
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