(This piece was written before the Capital One Cup tie between Sheffield Wednesday and Arsenal).
Whatever the arguments about the quality of the old versus new, it can be agreed that the sport of football has definitely become faster, demanding much higher standards of fitness from its players. It is also true that the science as well as quality of infrastructure available to those practising professional sport and those training them is of a far higher standard than in previous years. But who is to blame when a player is plagued by recurrent injuries? There isn’t a one-fits-all magical formula, but the answers lie with a combination of factors – the player’s inherent tendencies and weaknesses, the medical and physiotherapy staff treating him, the training methods and the nature of the injuries.
However, this piece isn’t about how to manage injuries better, or about those players who have put terrible injuries behind them to forge ahead, or even those who could never go back to their best after a big injury. Rather it discusses two massive young talents whose careers have so far been blighted by frequent injuries, but who still have the possibility of second or even third chances when it comes to living up to their true potential.
In June 2006, a 16 year old Brazilian wonderkid was signed by Sport Club Internacional to compete in the Campeonato Brasileiro sub-20. Alexandre Rodrigues da Silva or “Pato” (funnily enough, el pato means duck in Spanish) quickly surpassed expectations and went on to be included in the Internacional squad that won the 2006 FIFA Club World Cup, becoming the youngest ever player to score in a FIFA-organised competition. He was only 17 years and 102 days, surpassing Pele’s long-standing record of 17 years and 239 days from back in 1958.
A year later, he was officially signed by AC Milan, though he couldn’t make his debut until a few months later because of regulations pertaining to a non-EU minor. With a very quick, creative South American flair, combined with good technique and a keen eye for goal, the youngster went from strength to strength. Though not the tallest or most physical of players, he seemed as comfortable in the air as when he was dribbling the ball, strong and versatile. It was no surprise when he became the Brazilian to receive the Serie A Young Footballer of the Year award in 2009.