Radu Drăgușin Recounts Grueling Injury Recovery: 'Learned to Walk Again'

Romanian defender Radu Drăgușin has spoken candidly about the immense physical and mental challenges he faced after suffering a severe anterior cruciate ligament tear, an injury that nearly ended his career. The setback occurred during his time in England, leading to an almost year-long absence from the field.

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I learned to walk again. That was the first stage of recovery. To regain flexion. Your knee is very stiff.

Drăgușin described the initial recovery phase as learning to walk again, focusing on regaining knee flexion. "It is very demanding and there is a lot of pain at the beginning," he shared on the Vorbitorincii podcast. He emphasized the mental toll, noting the importance of managing expectations, as he initially prepared for a full season's absence. "If the recovery is not done properly, you risk never playing football at a high level again," he stated, adhering strictly to his medical program.

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It is very demanding and there is a lot of pain at the beginning. Mentally, it is even more demanding if you don't set your expectations correctly.

The frustration peaked seven to eight months into recovery when he felt physically ready to rejoin his teammates but was not selected for the squad. "I felt physically good, even better than before!" he exclaimed, expressing his eagerness to play. Despite the difficulties, Drăgușin asserts that his recovery is complete, and he now feels physically superior to his pre-injury condition.

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If the recovery is not done properly, you risk never playing football at a high level again.

He also addressed concerns about playing fearlessly, particularly in the physically demanding Premier League. Drăgușin confidently stated that he has no lingering fear and fully trusts his knee and abilities. "I am so confident in myself and my knee that I haven't played with fear," he said, adding that he believes opponents have not tried to exploit his past injury. His current loan spell at Fiorentina follows a period where his role at Tottenham did not align with his recovery progress.

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I felt physically good, even better than before!