‘I would rupture my Achilles again’ – Ogbene ‘wiser’ after injury

Date: Saturday, September 6th, 2019 Kick-off: 19:45 BST

Coverage: The BBC Sport website and app offers live text commentary.

Chedozie Ogbene, the winger for the Republic of Ireland, said that having an Achilles tendon injury that had made him “experience life in a different perspective” helped him spend nine months out of action.

The 28-year-old was injured playing for his club at the time in Ipswich Town’s 4-3 Premier League defeat against Brentford in October of that year.

He claims that the time out helped him develop as a person and player and that he would go through it all again because the Tractor Boys were relegated from the rest of the campaign.

He said, “Knowing what I know now, if I go back nine months, I would break my Achilles once more, I am much wiser now, there was a lot of knowledge I acquired while being hurt,”

Ogbene, who has since made the switch to Sheffield United’s championship team, claimed he spent “a lot of hours getting to know my body” and watching videos to prepare him for the pre-season this summer.

You learn a lot more from watching a lot of football for nine months. When you’re completely immersed in it, the manager says you don’t really understand it, but when you’re out and watching from the side, it’s a really good education, he said.

“I spoke with Gavin Bazunu and John Egan, both of whom had previously been injured on the Achilles.” I talked to them about their experiences, so I made sure to schedule those things in my rehab. The result was a smooth and fruitful recovery.

I’m so happy it paid off because I had a wonderful pre-season and felt as strong and fit as it has ever been, so I’m excited.

As Republic of Ireland kickoff their World Cup qualifying campaign, Ogbene will be hoping to earn another 24 caps with them.

Ogbene wants to start their Group F campaign with a strong start against Hungary on Saturday in Dublin before taking on Armenia on Tuesday.

I hope everyone approaches the goal of receiving six points. The manager and I both see it in that way. I want to score six, or at least four, but I don’t want to sit here and declare that I want four, “Obene added.

“I believe we can defeat Hungary and Armenia if we follow the right course.” We want six points in terms of the guys’ training.