The season 2010/11 was coming to an end and it was my last month for the u19 of Hearts of Midlothian. The previous 2 years in the U19 were a complete success. I recapitulated: I became a regular player of the u19s, scored 14 goals (10 Free-Kicks), became vice captain of the U19s, became u19s player of the year and won the Nicholson Award of Hearts. The only negative fact was that I didn’t make my professional debut yet, but I was very close. The 1st team manager at that time, Jim Jefferies announced to me: „Denis, you’ll make your debut for the 1st team next week against Dundee United.“ Of course, I was already buzzing and my u19s coach Darren Murray started to prepare myself mentally. It’s always great for a Coach to see his player making his 1st team debut and I think he was a little proud of me. However, he asked me to play one last time for the u19s because we were still fighting to become champions of the league. (We were only 2 points behind Celtic). I had some concerns because the u19s game was on a Tuesday and the game in which should make my debut on the Saturday; only 4 days after. But I was doing a good job for the u19s and didn’t want to let the boys down, so I said yes.
The game kicked off. Our opponents on that day: Glasgow Rangers. Everything started perfectly; we made the 1:0 and played clearly better. I made a great game so far, which I was really happy about because the 1st team manager was watching our game. So I could prove to him once more that I am in top form and ready for Saturday. But just after half-time I get a pass behind my back, I make a left turn, but my left foot was stuck in the ground and I twist my knee really bad. I heard a big bang in my knee and fell to the ground. Of course I tried immediately to get back up, but it just wasn’t possible. The pain was unbearable and my knee swelled up immediately. Our team physio Niall McGregor ran on the pitch to check and do a few tests on my knees and said: „Denis, I think it’s your cruciate ligament“. I couldn’t believe it and immediately I began to cry. I was 19 years old and was always referred to as a German machine, because I never showed emotion, but there was I sitting and crying like a baby. Not because of the physical pain. What made me cry was the thought that my biggest goal in life and my childhood dream has been blown away within a few seconds.
I was transported to the team doctor of the 1st team, who should have a closer look at my knee. After a few tests he confirmed that it’s my cruciate ligament. Nothing could cheer me up. This is the worst day of my life I thought. The 1st team manager and Sport Director came into the Physio room and tried to calm me down a bit by saying that injuries are part of football. The Following words of the manager Jim Jeffries still running through my head:
“Denis, don’t worry. Success is the ability to move from one failure to another without losing enthusiasm. So stay strong”.
The following day my knee has swollen up much more and it wasn’t possible to make a MRI picture, so our Doctor decided to take a further opinion of one of the „best“ knee experts in Britain. We drove to the clinic of the expert in Bradford, together with the u19s physio Niall. On the way to Bradford, Niall told me that even Cristiano Ronaldo and John Terry have been patients of this expert. We arrived; he looked at my knee and made the usual knee movement tests. After a few minutes I heard for the 3rd time: „Yes, it’s your cruciate ligament“. I just didn’t want to believe it. I didn’t want to believe our Hearts doctors, too big was my hope for a less tragic injury. But after the devastating judgment from one of the best knee specialists I could barely maintain my hope. I arrived at home and called my parents to tell them the bad news. But my Mom tried to keep me positive and said: „Denis, pray to God; put your hands on your knee and pray to God. Imagine how your knee is healing and you’ll be fine”. Since I am a very religious person, I followed her advice. Every day I prayed several times and made it just like my mom had told me and visualized the healing.
After six days, I could finally take a MRI picture. The MRI was made and I was waiting for my results in the waiting room. There was still a little hope inside my head. The Doctor came in and said to my amazement: “Denis, we were wrong, you didn’t damage your cruciate ligament, nothing is torn or broken; however your medial ligament is heavily damaged. So you won’t be out for 30 weeks but only 2 months”. When I heard this news, I lifted my head and said aloud: “Thank you, dear God “. My mother was right:
Pray – within praying lies immeasurable power.
At this point I would like to describe my rehabilitation time: The Hearts physios had designed a „knee – program“ for me, consisting of muscle-rebuilding exercises and other tasks that should speed up the process of my rehabilitation. The doctor and physios told me to go through the program once per day, which took about two hours in total. But as I am, I wanted more. I was convinced that more exercises, more reps and more weight would accelerate the healing process. Instead of going through the programme once, as I have been advices, I done it 3 times. And indeed I was fit and back training with the team faster than expected. However, the negative consequences should appear soon enough; because of the over exaggerated load and stress to my body I started to get problems with my groins, what was leading to a “hernia” a couple months after.
Keep a healthy discipline, but be gentle with yourself.
denisprychynenko 