Aston Villa midfielder Amadou Onana has admitted that his 'whole world collapsed' after he immediately realised he had suffered a serious knee injury while playing for Belgium at the World Cup. The 24-year-old is set to miss a significant part, if not all, of next season after sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury when he stretched awkwardly during Belgium's round-of-16 victory over the USA.
Emotional Social Media Post
Onana took to social media on Saturday afternoon to post an emotional message to Belgium and Aston Villa supporters. In an Instagram post, he wrote: 'Dear world…. It's very difficult to tell you how I feel, so I'm just going to keep it real because if I don't then what's the point of me writing to you. From the second I hit the floor my whole world collapsed, I knew something really bad had happened.'
He continued: 'My first thoughts were…why me? Why now? Why did I deserve this? I was angry at the world, not knowing what to expect but also sad because I wouldn't be able to do what I love the most for a very long time… Waking up the next day I was hoping that it would all be a dream but I realized pretty quickly that I had torn my ACL… Day 2 was probably the toughest, I kept replaying the scene in my head, thinking of what I could've done better to avoid it. Staring at my swollen knee and needing assistance for everything was just devastating…'
Turning Point and Gratitude
Onana described how day three marked a shift in his mindset. 'Day 3 is when it all sank in, my faith took over and I thought WHY NOT ME? I'm no better than anyone else this injury happened to, it's just a part of the sport. Today I feel grateful because I'm in a very privileged position, ALLAH has blessed me with an amazing family and numerous people around me to help me through this journey.'
He added: 'I am more confident than ever in the fact that this experience will make me grow as an athlete, a human being, a father, a husband and many other ways. I truly believe that everything happens for a reason and this is what ALLAH planned for me. Whatever is meant for me will never miss me and whatever misses me was never meant for me. We don't run we endure and conquer, Mamba.'
Thanks to Teammates and Fans
Onana expressed gratitude for the support he has received. 'I would like to thank my teammates at @belgianredevils for the support, the love everyone at @astonvilla showed me and all of your messages, it means the world to me. I'll be back InshaAllah. Love, 24.'
The injury is a major blow for Aston Villa, who may need to consider a loan move to cover Onana's absence. The club will be hoping for a full recovery as the midfielder faces a long road back to fitness.
