From the ‘worst days’ of his life to a ‘good place’ - Xavi opens up on his recovery
Xavi Simons feels “happy and in a good place now” after overcoming the devastating physical and emotional toll of the serious knee injury sustained last season.
The 23-year-old required surgery for a ruptured Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) in his right knee picked up against Wolves in April and revealed he hit rock bottom in the days following the procedure.
In severe pain and faced with a long road to recovery ahead at the time, Xavi has put those lowest days behind him and is now firmly focused on returning stronger than ever as he continues his rehabilitation with the support of his family, teammates and the club.
“The first four days were the worst days of my life,” admitted our number seven, speaking in a special feature ‘Xavi Simons: Back Home’ on his return to where he grew up in Spain. “I couldn’t sleep, I didn’t eat for one week.
“I was in a lot of pain. I was vomiting and felt dizzy, it was everything. That pain, I don’t wish no one to go through that pain.
“I don’t know what it’s like for other players but, for me, it was like my whole body was saying like ‘what happened?’
“This is what it is. I’m happy and in a good place now. I’m together with my family, we’ve worked a lot. They’ve been through a lot with me in this 10 weeks. From the second week everything went very good.
“Luckily, I have the club behind me and seeing my body like ‘ok we can test things and go through different things’.”
Returning to Hotspur Way last week to step up his rehab, the Netherlands international says his determination to return better than before drives every session and he is already looking ahead to making his mark once he returns to action in a Spurs shirt.
“Every time I’m in the gym, I’m only thinking I have to get stronger, I have to be better,” he continued.
“Having that motivation in my head every day is really satisfying as it’s giving me a boost all the time.
“My goal is to bring the club back to where it belongs and to win trophies. That’s my main goal and that won’t disappear. That’s the most important thing. We’ll definitely see a better Spurs, and definitely see a better Xavi Simons.”