Tottenham star Xavi Simons has opened up on the mental struggles he went through following his ACL injury and has shed light on how far he is from returning to football.
Xavi suffered his ACL injury against Wolves in April just as he was starting to play his best football at Tottenham after a tough start to life in the Premier League.
At the time, it looked like the Dutchman’s injury blow, which came soon after other injuries to Mohammed Kudus and Cristian Romero, looked like it was the final nail in Spurs’ coffin.
However, the Lilywhites managed to dig deep and show tremendous fight, inspired by Roberto De Zerbi, eventually staying up on the final day of last season.
Tottenham star Xavi Simons opens up on mental health struggles during injury layoff
This is the first major injury of the 23-year-old’s career, and meant that not only did he miss a lot of important football for Spurs, but also missed out on the World Cup, which is the pinnacle of a professional’s career.
The Netherlands international has now revealed that it was not easy to have the game he loves suddenly taken away from him, confessing that he had to explore other avenues to keep his mind busy.
The Tottenham man was invited to speak at the Oxford Union, and he said (via ESPN): “I had to watch the remainder of the season from my hospital bed and let me tell you, it was not easy. I felt completely out of control, infuriated because I couldn’t contribute and help. I couldn’t do a thing. Luckily, the boys did their job.
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“Mental is just as important as physical. I’ve had bad moments at night, not even my family know how bad. I’ve cried, I’ve wanted so bad to contribute to Spurs, to my national team.
“I read books, I enhanced my knowledge on certain things, I wanted more information, I wanted to stimulate my mind. I wanted calmness in my brain. That was as important as going to the gym every day.
“It’s ultimately about finding the balance. You can’t underestimate the importance of good psychological health. If your brain isn’t working, your body isn’t working.”
Xavi admits he is getting stronger every day
The attacking midfielder has been training outdoors by himself over recent weeks, as he enters the final stage of his recovery.
In fact, some reports have indicated that Xavi Simons could rejoin Tottenham training by the end of this month, which would undoubtedly come as a major boost to De Zerbi’s side.
When quizzed on his recovery and how he plans to return to his best, the Tottenham man said: “My knee has to feel good. I need to feel strong. Right now, I’m on track, I’m getting stronger every day. I’m putting in endless hours. I have a great team that has been with me this entire journey. Everyone has a different schedule.
“Everyone’s journey is different. For me, I want to come home and only think, ‘I can’t move my legs anymore,’ because I have pushed myself to the limit daily. I want to feel tired. That feeling is when I allow myself to rest. That’s how I’ve approached it throughout.”