Netherlands-born Nigerian defender, Tyronne Ebuehi, is confident of hitting the ground running after a two-year injury lay-off he described as a “hard time.”
The 24-year-old joined Benfica from ADO Den Haag after the 2018 World Cup but an injury in June of that year meant he has not played for the Portuguese side.
“It’s been a long period out and a hard time for me,” the player, now on loan with Dutch side, FC Twente, told BBC Sport Africa.
While on the sidelines, he admitted to questioning if he could ever play the game again and attributed his perseverance to his friends, family and mental strength.
Ebuehi who missed the entire 2018/2019 season due to the niggling injury, is, however, thankful to God for the lessons he learned during his lengthy spell on the treatment table.
Going forward, the defender believes he is now better prepared to take care of his body and “handle any future injuries” which he hopes do not occur.
Missing Eagle
Even though things appeared to be taking shape last season as he managed seven matches each for Benfica’s B team and the under-23’s, a muscle injury threw a spanner in the works.
His injury worries did not only mar his performances with his club side.
The right-back was ignored in the Super Eagles squad that finished third at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Egypt.
For Ebuehi, however, playing for the Nigerian side is always special because he has many friends in the national team set up.
“I cannot wait to be a part of the team (Super Eagles) again,” the former ADO Den Haag star added as he thanked Nigerian fans for the “amazing and incredible messages” he got from them via social media.