Kaizer Chiefs defender Rushwin Dortley has spoken for the first time since he sustained a serious injury in March.
The 23-year-old Bafana Bafana star has not played a game in four months and but is now part of the Amakhosi squad for the Netherlands pre-season tour.
Having seriously injured his knee, surgery was required, forcing the young defender to miss the rest of the season.
“I was tackled from the side,” Rushwin Dortley reflected on the incident. No yellow card was given to the opponent,” he was quoted on Kaizer Chiefs website.
Chiefs star Dortley continues to recover from injury
After the operation, the left foot had to start walking again, just to strengthen the muscles slowly.
“This is my first serious injury that needed an operation,” Dortley added.
“It has been a tough few months. One has to be strong mentally, as you want to play, but you can’t. It’s not easy, but I do know that there is light at the end of the tunnel.”
Amakhosi Physiotherapist Ngobese agrees with Dortley’s sentiments. “It’s tough for a player not to be part of the team operation.
“However, Rushwin is working tremendously hard, continuously pushing himself.”
Dortley’s injury meant he had to the Chiefs’ headquarters at The Village every day during the off-season, to train on his own.
Dortley is happy that he could join his fellow Glamour Boys for their pre-season training session in the Netherlands.
“I have a lot of support from my family. My girlfriend, my father, my mother, my brother… They are all playing a huge role on my road to full recovery.”
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