After an absence of over six months from the football pitch, Donny van de Beek is nearing his return. In a 14-minute interview with his former club Ajax, he confirms that he feels ‘in great physical shape’. “I hope to rejoin the team in a few weeks’ time.”
On 23 September last year, things went terribly wrong for Van de Beek. In the away match against Athletic Club, the Girona midfielder ruptured his Achilles tendon. Van de Beek screamed in agony and had to undergo months of rehabilitation. Now he is finally nearing his return.
“I’m doing well,” begins Van de Beek, who turns 29 later this month. “I’m obviously on my way back to the pitch, but things are actually going really well. I feel physically great. I’m really raring to go and make my comeback.”
“I’m currently working flat out with the physio and training on the pitch. I hope to join the team in a few weeks’ time, so things are looking good. Being out on the pitch is the best thing there is. At a certain point, you just get fed up with the gym.”
“As a footballer, you want to get out on the pitch and have a go with the ball. That’s the stage I’m at now. Eventually, you start to feel more and more positive and you really get that itch to play football again. I can’t wait to rejoin the team; I’m not far off.”
The injury, its consequences and the months of rehabilitation took their toll on Van de Beek. “It was incredibly tough, of course,” he admits. “Especially the first few months. When something like that happens, it’s incredibly frustrating and difficult.”
“Because it’s such a long process, and of course you really don’t fancy that at all. Fortunately, I’ve now managed to put that behind me and in a few weeks’ time I’ll be able to rejoin the team and help them out again. That’s the best bit: training with the ball and playing matches.”
“I’ve worked really hard. We’ve been training every day, including in the gym. Obviously, I couldn’t do much on the pitch, and I’m still doing some gym work, but now my focus is really back on the pitch. We’re in the final stages. There’s still a bit to go, but things are going well,” said Van de Beek.