Bacup boy Matty’s a Fox on the run again
STEVE BROWN
SATURDAY afternoon at the King Power Stadium in Leicester was one to savour for the James family.
It was the return to football for Bacup lad Matty James after almost 18 months on the sidelines due to a series of injuries.
And even though the result wasn’t the one he was hoping for – Leicester were beaten 1-0 – on his return to first team action, it was a special moment for a player who has endured physical and mental pain during that time.
It was the Leicester City midfielder’s first appearance since March 2018, a long time out for a player who had been a regular figure for Leicester’s leading up to his injury woes.
Playing the final five minutes of the game against Manchester City was a welcome tonic for Matty, whose injury dilemma goes back to 2015 when rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in the penultimate home game of the 2014-15 season.
If that wasn’t bad enough he was forced to look on as his teammates went about making footballing history and winning the 2015-16 Barclays Premier League Championship.
During those magical moments for the club, Matty was reported to have felt detached from the squad almost like he was on a rollercoaster going down the slope as his teammates were bathing in the glory and going all the way to the top. Even on the evening that Leicester City were crowned Champions he felt that he didn’t deserve to be there celebrating having played no part in his clubs success.
Looking through the stats from the past few seasons you could say that Matty James has been the most unluckiest footballer in the Premier League. Not one, not two, but three operations to deal with, including a kidney infection that left the 28-yearold in so much pain that he says in his own words, “I’ll remember it for the rest of my life.”
Thankfully James is made of tough stuff, but during these past few years he’s had to face some dark times. A part of his recovery was spent talking to Martin Littlewood, a sport psychologist who Matty called upon numerous times to discuss his state of mind and even the prospect of life without football. Frustration and depression all came into play during those days, and his close family here in the Rossendale Valley played an instrumental part in making sure that the young talented footballer stayed focused and determined to play again.
At the start of the 201718 season the Leicester midfielder missed the first 15 games due to an achilles problem, and then made a welcome return to the team under the new Foxes manager, Claude Puel. At that time everything seemed to be getting back on track for the Bacup lad, he was impressing his new boss and it looked like he’d turned a corner until another achilles injury forced him out of action for the remainder of the season.
Getting back to full fitness hasn’t been easy. The rehabilitation has been long and hard but on Saturday in front of a home crowd standing to applaud his return it was well worth it. You only need to glide over the Foxes social media pages to witness the love and affection the Leicester City supporters have for Matty James. There’s a real sense of compassion and admiration for a player who has given everything since arriving from Manchester United in 2012.
Let’s not forget that this is a player who, before the injuries kicked in, was being linked with a call up to Roy Hodgson’s England squad for the 2016 Euros. But of course with all the issues surrounding the midfielder with injuries any such plans were ruined.
Times have been extremely difficult for the Rossendale Valley lad, and lesser players would’ve given up a long time ago, but not him, no chance.
Matty spent the first half of this season building up his fitness in order to gain the strength needed to challenge for a first team shirt. And after playing in four full Under-23s fixtures since the turn of the year he was reintroduced to the official squad after the January transfer window making him eligible for selection.
Speaking in the Leicestershire Live news, the Foxes manager, Brendan Rogers said: “In the first period of the season it was a case that he wasn’t going to be fit enough to be in contention to play. He was recovering from various injuries, so for the first six months we didn’t want to put him under pressure so we brought him out of the squad, let him get fit and available.
“Thankfully for Matty he’s been able to do that. He’s also sustained his fitness, which is great for him and great for us.”
Hopefully now he can gain more minutes on the pitch and play an active role in his clubs vision to acquire one of those important top four spots needed for Champions League football next season.
There is no doubt that James is a top footballer and those around him know the value and importance he brings to the group. The injuries over the past few years have taken their toll but have also made him a stronger person, both mentally and physically.
If he can stay match fit throughout the remainder of this current campaign and help steer Leicester City towards the big prize of Champions League football who would bet against him having an outside chance of featuring in a future Gareth Southgate England squad. It is early day but things are sweet. He’s a fox on the run.
●● Bacup boy Matty James in action for Leicester City