Painter Feels For Injured-Again Bodde

Ferrie Bodde suffered a knee injury in November 2008 and has only just returned to first team action in the last week.

But after just 8 minutes into his return, he suffered a recurrence of the knee ligament injury which had kept him sidelined for so long, and he faces another lengthy spell on the sidelines.

That means going through the tough rehabilitation process again, and if anyone knows how tough it is, then it’s fellow team-mate Marcos Painter, who suffered a similar knee injury last year.

Painter told Wales Online:

“The rehab process has been one of the toughest times of my career,”

“To have to do it all again, for him to get through it, will show his true character.

“It’s just devastating for Ferrie and I can imagine that his head must be all over the place at the moment.

“He has worked so hard to get back on the field for his first start and, for it to go after just nine minutes, words can’t explain how hard it is for him.

“But he has got two choices now – either kiss goodbye to his career or dig in, work hard and get back to the good player he is.

You wonder whether he’ll ever return to the quality player he has proved to be – which has attracted him to potential multi-million pound moves to Premiership clubs.

Injuries like this can end careers, especially due to the fact that he’s missed 2 entire football seasons.

But Painter is convinced that Bodde is the type of player to dig in and return next year:

“Knowing Ferrie, how tough he is and how good a player he is, I’m sure he won’t want to waste that and he will hopefully get back to his best again.”

“What happened with Ferrie puts it into perspective. You don’t want to rush it and you can kid yourself into thinking you are 100 per cent.

“It gave me a bit of a fright because it shows that it can happen so easily. The smallest of movements in the wrong position can snap it.

“I feel good but I’m still trying to get back into full flow and back to what I was before my injury. I know it will take a lot of time.

“I just have to keep telling myself that it will take a long time and I have to be patient. The gaffer understands the situation as well and he will take his time with me.”