Football
Exclusive: Andre Green on His Injury-Filled Return to English Football and Aiding Rotherham on the Road Back to Championship
Andre Green stays focused on his recovery to get Rotherham back to the Championship.
Image Credits: Andre Green's Twitter (X) Account
A Return to English Football With an Achilles Heel
Andre Green is looking to put his injury nightmare behind him and get his football career back on track.
The former Aston Villa forward made his Premier League debut aged just 17 and played in a Villa team which included England star Jack Grealish.
But having moved back to England from Slovakia for a new start with Rotherham in August last year, 25-year-old summer-signing Green ruptured his Achilles tendon in training in October and has been sidelined ever since.
“I knew straight away I’d done something bad, I just heard a massive pop,” revealed Green.
I was just rolling around on the floor in agony, it was horrible.
Andre Green on his injury
“I just knew what had happened, I was devastated.
“I spent the first month just sitting down doing nothing to get the swelling down and I had to have one of those hospital chairs in the shower, it was just horrible.
“You take walking for granted, even now I can’t work properly today. I can’t walk with my daughter and my fiancée, I can’t do normal things.
“That was the most difficult part, but I’ve had a set-back as well when I came out my [recovery] boot and re-tore my Achilles.
“I’ve only just come out of the boot again, so that’s set me back a few more weeks. It’s been really tough.”
Healthy Full Season Yet to Be Achieved
Green, who spent a decade at Villa’s academy programme, played 40 games for the club over the course of five seasons.
But his promising career was frustratingly stagnated with a string of different injury spells, which prevented him from ever playing a full season.
Finding Success Abroad to Return With Confidence
In 2021 he joined Slovan Bratislava and racked up over 50 appearances for Slovakia’s most successful team, which included winning the Slovak Super Liga title.
Image Credits: Reuters
“I went over there to play football and I got a lot of games under my belt,” reflected Green.
“I pretty much played every game – and I’d not had that in England before, I was always in and out [of sides].
“I felt really confident coming back to England and playing well at Rotherham, so it was really frustrating to have got this injury so soon after I’d come back and joined the club.”
Eyes on the Climb Back to Championship
Now Green knows his long-awaited comeback will now be trying to help the Millers return to the Championship with relegation a certainty for the South Yorkshire club after a season to forget.
“I should be back for pre-season hopefully, but I can finally see light at the end of the tunnel,” added Green.
Image Credits: The Millers
I’ve just got to stay positive and hope I come back the same, if not better. You never, but I’m confident I will.
Andre Green
“It has been difficult to see it because sometimes you go in [to the club] and you’re not seeing progression.
“But it’s only when I look back at two months ago and where I was that I know I’ve made progress.
“I just can’t wait to get back playing. This is the longest I’ve ever been out.
“It’s been a really tough season for the club, but we’ve got enough quality in this squad to get back in the Championship.”
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Neil has been a journalist for longer than he'd care to remember, having written for national newspapers and respected publications for over 25 years. For the last three years he has worked freelance for BBC Sport, working on the production desk as a sub-editor and also as a writer, covering a whole range of sports.