Harry Diamond
Chelsea star Callum Hudson-Odoi admits that his long-term injury had left him fearing for his footballing career.
Hudson-Odoi made his first start for the club in five months during Sunday’s 4-1 win at Southampton, having endured a lengthy spell on the sidelines since suffering a serious Achilles injury in April.
The 18-year-old admits his prolonged absence raised doubts over his career, revealing he had to overcome ‘dark days’ as he worked through the rehabilitation process.
“I wondered if I would be able to play again; that was my first thought,” he told Sky Sports.
“I knew I’d done something really serious so I was really concerned. But my family kept me confident that I’d be back to how I was.
“There were days when I would go into training and I would be sad or disappointed because I could see the boys outside training and you just want to be out there with them.
“So I had the dark days but at the same time I had positive days as well.”
Hudson-Odoi’s set back came after he had begun to establish himself as a key figure in the Chelsea first-team, whilst he had also been rewarded for his performances by earning his first caps for the senior England team.
His absence also saw the teenager miss out on Chelsea’s Europa League victory over Arsenal in May, and the winger admits the timing of the news came as a major blow.
“When it came, it was more anger for me because everything was going as I wanted it to go,” he added. “I was playing games, I’d got called to the national team – everything was going perfectly.
“There were big games coming up. But I knew when I came back I’d be stronger than I was before.”
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