By Joe Ellis

21st Jan, 2022 | 9:10pm

Forshaw opens up on injury that could've ended his Leeds United career

Leeds United midfielder Adam Forshaw returned to the pitch after nearly two years out injured in the Whites’ League Cup game against Crewe in August.

The 30-year-old thought he had a minor hip problem when he last played for the club in the Championship but he had no idea the road he was about to embark on.

In an interview with The Athletic though, Forshaw revealed that even the specialists he went to see couldn’t believe he had been playing on with such an injury.

“They did an X-ray, (Marc Philippon, an injury specialist in professional athletes) took one look at it and told me he couldn’t believe the level I’d been playing at,” Forshaw says.

“With the damage to the hip joints, he couldn’t believe it — and the right wasn’t much better than the left. But again, I thought the surgery would fix it. The recovery time was going to be four to six months, but fine. I’ll squash the season we’re in the middle of and be back in time for pre-season. I was OK with that if it got me right.”

While he is relieved to be playing football again in the Premier League, he also revealed how the day Leeds were promoted was one of his worst.

“It’s the worst time I’ve had in my career,” he says. “I was genuinely so pleased for everyone — the club, the lads, the fans — but for me it was the worst time. I couldn’t enjoy the promotion.

“That’s just the truth. The night when we were on the top floor (of Elland Road’s East Stand) and you saw us celebrating, the lads jumping up and down, I was sat crying to my wife. I couldn’t do anything else.”

Fantastic Example

The way Forshaw has overcome all of the setbacks he’s suffered and still come through to play in the Premier League is admirable to anyone in the game.

An injury as bad as what the 30-year-old had would be enough to end some professional careers and you wouldn’t have blamed Forshaw had he chosen to end his playing days after nearly 700 days out of action.

But his never give in attitude is exactly what Marcelo Bielsa was looking for and it would be fair to assume that his recovery has inspired many at Elland Road.

Bielsa himself has to take some credit in believing in Forshaw enough to give him a new contract while he was still injured, not knowing if or when he would be back in action.

His first-team return is a massive boost for Leeds as his recovery continues to inspire the Whites on and off the field.

Unfortunately, he’s been ruled out of the game against Newcastle on Saturday but we have no doubt that he’ll be back soon based on the way he’s built up his overall fitness in the last two years.

In other Leeds United news, representatives from the club have flown out of the UK in a bid to finalise transfer negotiations.