Captain Son Heung-min delivered a message of support to injured teammate Ivan Perisic.
Tottenham Hotspur said on the club website on the 20th (Korean time), “It has been confirmed that Perisic has suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in his right knee. Perisic was injured during training and is scheduled to undergo surgery. Afterwards, he will undergo rehabilitation with the medical staff. “He is expected to miss the remainder of the season,” the official statement said.
Perisic arrived at Tottenham before the start of last season. Coach Antonio Conte spent the summer strengthening his strength and creating a team of his own. Perisic is a veteran fullback who played with Conte during his time at Inter Milan. Perisic, who also plays for the Croatia national team and has extensive experience in Europe, joined the team with the expectation that his long experience and skills will help Tottenham’s strength.무지개토토
However, Perisic’s performance at Tottenham since the start of the season has been minimal. In particular, the combination with Son Heung-min was creaky. Son Heung-min mainly participates in attacks by making active movements on the left flank, but it has been pointed out that Son Heung-min’s range of activity is reduced as his movement lines with Perisic often overlap. As various analyzes and evaluations continued that Son Heung-min scored better without Perisic, Coach Conte’s tactics were also criticized.
Perisic finished the season by doing his part. He appeared in 34 games, making 23 starts, and scored one goal and eight assists. Although he shone with the most assists in the team, it was difficult to say that he played a big role in the wingback position due to his physical weakness in his mid-30s.
Ahead of this season, Perisic’s position began to decline. Newly appointed coach Enze Postecoglou preferred a back four rather than a back three. Reports continued over the summer that Perisic could leave the team. There was talk of him returning to his native Croatia, but Perisic chose to remain with the team first.
Since the opening game, Perisic has appeared intermittently, mainly as a substitute. Although he had little playing time, he played consistently, recording one assist each in the English Football League Cup (EFL Cup) against Fulham and against Sheffield United in the last 5 rounds. However, he could not avoid the possibility of being out of the season due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury suffered during training.
Cruciate ligament injuries are fatal to soccer players. Even if the surgery is successful, it is difficult for the injured knee to regain its previous competitive feel. It also takes quite a long time to return. Considering that Perisic is 34 years old, this is an injury that may force him to consider retirement immediately.
Perisic has decided to focus on his rehabilitation and his return. He shared Michael Jordan’s famous quote on his SNS, “Even if you encounter an obstacle, don’t stop walking. Even if you hit a wall, don’t give up. Find your way back by climbing over the wall or breaking through.” Ended retirement rumors.
His teammates also cheered for Perisic. Pedro Foro and James Madison also offered consolation, while captain Son Heung-min also sent a message of support. He encouraged Perisic on his SNS on the 21st, saying, “Brother, we are really rooting for you. We also feel your pain. We will wait for you, already the best player, to come back stronger than ever.”
Son Heung-min posted a photo of the two people enjoying the joy on the field along with this phrase. It was a photo taken in celebration of the moment when Tottenham, who were behind 0-2 in a game against Bournemouth in October 2022, scored goals in a row and turned the tables with Rodrigo Bentancur’s third goal. Son Heung-min, who usually comforted his teammates through social media when they were injured, did not forget to take care of his teammates like a captain this time.
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