In conversation with ESPNFC, Bolton Wanderers American midfielder Stuart Holden has been discussing his rehab from knee surgery.
He starts off with the news that we all wanted to hear:
First of all, this is NOT a retirement announcement
He continues:
Not a day goes by where I'm not wishing I was out there, competing against the world's elite. It really hurts to watch my teammates run out on the field, score goals and celebrate in ecstasy. It cuts like a knife to know exactly what it would feel like to be in that moment and not be able to be a part of it.
Then he went on to describe a moment that lives in all our memories:
If I close my eyes and imagine the favorite moment of my career -- scoring the winner for Bolton vs. Blackburn in a local derby -- it will forever give me chills. Just taking in the incredible moment, I can see the crowd going wild, my teammates jumping on top of me. I crave to feel that again and that desire is what drives me.
The strain of the constant rehab, and the mental torture caused by all that uncertainty over his playing future is also addressed:
With all that being said, I've decided to take it slow having come to the conclusion that I can be my own worst enemy. I work hard every single day but my body has gone through a lot of trauma and with each injury comes the need to be cautious and smart about rehab.
I know I can beat this and trust me, I wouldn't keep trying if I it wasn't possible. I've always told myself that, if I wake up in the morning and that drive and determination is gone, it's time to walk away.
The piece finishes with a rousing ending the likes of which we haven't seen since the finale of the Dark Knight Rises:
Stay tuned, because this isn't over yet.
#noholdenback
So from a Bolton Wanderers perspective we're clearly nowhere near being ready to welcome back Mr Holden into the fold, but after so long out injured the needs of the club are secondary to the needs of the man.
We want him back, we might even need him back, but his own state of mind and long-term future prospects are more important. Luckily he clearly has some superhero style mental strength driving him and personally speaking this is the aspect of the man that I admire most.
I truly believe that had he not been injured against Manchester United, Holden would have gone on to drive our midfield forward with great success and it's only due to that horrific accident (sorry Bolton fans, but it was an accident) that we have been robbed of a wonderful footballer and, speaking from experience, a truly remarkable human being.
Now I'm not an overly sentimental person, but I really REALLY love Stuart Holden.