EXCLUSIVE | 'Have Not Forgotten The Football That I Play': Akash Mishra Opens Up On Mental Demons During Rehab

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Last Updated:May 28, 2025, 11:15 IST

Akash Mishra recounts the intelligence battles during rehab aft undergoing ACL country successful the past year, Mumbai City FC’s assistance and his plans for the upcoming season.

Indian footballer Akash Mishra (Instagram)

Akash Mishra was forced to the sidelines for implicit a twelvemonth aft injuring his Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) during the 2023-24 Indian Super League (ISL) playoff successful April.

The Mumbai City FC defender underwent ACL country successful May and past began his agelong and arduous travel to recovery.

“It was not easy," Akash told News18 successful an exclusive interview, stressing the gruelling intelligence facet post-surgery.

“The symptom of country is not arsenic hard arsenic the journey. You person to bash the aforesaid happening again and again, and again. When you are done aft the surgery, aft 1 month, each you person to bash is conscionable immoderate small workout connected the bed. You can’t determination anywhere. You can’t bash things connected your own. To prevarication down connected a furniture for 1 month, bash nothing, really it’s much hard mentally."

The 23-year-old was speedy to convey Mumbai City FC and caput manager Petr Kratky for helping him connected his roadworthy to recovery.

“I got injured successful the (ISL playoff) semi-final. We played the 2nd leg, past we played the final. I was with them past adjacent aft the play got finished. The physio squad was with maine successful Mumbai. I was determination doing my rehab, due to the fact that you request immoderate benignant of spot earlier the surgery. I came location for a month. I operated successful Bombay and the squad physio was determination each the clip with me. It was off-season, everybody wanted to spell home. But the physio squad cancelled their holidays and they were determination with maine successful Bombay during my rehab. So yeah, I deliberation without them it would person been much difficult," helium said.

“I inactive retrieve erstwhile I aft my injury, I texted our manager (of football) Sujay Sharma saying that lone 1 twelvemonth gone and I’m injured. I’ll beryllium retired for a full season. I cognize determination are batch of expectations adjacent I besides privation to bash much for the club. But past helium texted maine successful a precise bully mode saying that, see, Akash, you are much important. And for us, you instrumentality however overmuch clip it requires, however overmuch clip it takes. We are ne'er going to propulsion you," Akash recalled.

Akash revealed that helium was with the nine during his rehab implicit the past year, attending MCFC’s location matches and seeing the squad train, but manager assured him to instrumentality his clip and retrieve well.

“After the last past twelvemonth erstwhile I got injured, helium told maine that Akash, ‘all these things happen’ due to the fact that helium said that ‘I’ve seen I’ve seen overmuch much shot than you’. So I cognize each these things hap and I cognize mentally you volition beryllium like, ‘Oh no, I privation to travel backmost faster’," Akash said.

Learning From Chhetri And Chhangte

The left-back had moved to the Marina Arena conscionable up of the 2023-24 play and has missed retired connected a season’s enactment already. Asked what helium intends to bash differently, fixed the anticipation of the wounded recurring, helium said, “From my constituent of view, I’m doing everything. Since my ACL, I person go a much knowledgeable athlete. Before successful the nationalist squad we utilized to perceive to Sunil (Chhetri) bhai. Even successful our club, of course, Lallianzuala Chhangte is an idol for everyone. We cognize Chhangte takes attraction of his body, however helium what helium eats, however helium works retired erstwhile helium does each those things."

“So since my injury, similar I had a batch of clip to bespeak connected myself, my body, my habits, which I could person changed earlier but I did not. Yes, I judge each those are my fault. But present I cognize what to eat, erstwhile to eat, erstwhile to sleep. I slumber early, I aftermath up early. So each those tiny things, I deliberation they volition amended maine arsenic a subordinate and astir important it volition amended my assemblage and I consciousness if my assemblage is overmuch amended from what it was before. I hope, I don’t get immoderate injury," helium added.

Mumbai did not person an ‘ideal’ play aft winning the ISL league shield oregon the ISL cupful successful the 2 erstwhile seasons, scraping done to the knockouts aft finishing sixth. Akash said it was ‘tough to watch’ from the outside.

“I cognize wherefore fans are frustrated. When we started the season, determination were truthful galore caller players coming in. I deliberation we took clip to adjust. How they accidental successful football, sometimes it’s unfair. I’ve seen each the players passim the season, each lucifer time -2 and lucifer time -1, they were trying, they were pushing, they were motivating each other. But it’s conscionable that sometimes successful football, you don’t get the effect that you want," helium said.

As for his plans for the upcoming season, Akash said: “For maine arsenic an idiosyncratic is to travel back, commencement the pre-season from time 1 afloat fit. And we arsenic a team, of course, we conscionable privation to support the past play successful the past and commencement afresh. Even earlier leaving, we had squad meetings. Everybody knows what we expect from the adjacent season."

No Monolo Quota

Missing retired connected shot has besides meant others person taken his spot successful the nationalist set-up, but with his aged manager Manolo Marquez astatine the helm now, Akash is not looking that acold ahead.

“There is nary quota, similar – Aakash Mishra is fit, let’s bring him backmost – due to the fact that personally I cognize manager Manolo. There is thing similar this. If I execute well, past lone I’ll get a call-up," helium said.

“But of course, arsenic a erstwhile player, I privation to bash good and effort to beryllium backmost arsenic soon arsenic possible. To beryllium honest, I person not forgotten the shot that I play. But yes, due to the fact that of 1 year’s injury, things person changed."

“Even the shot has gone a small ahead. But I support watching each the games. I ticker Indian football, I ticker Premier League, I ticker Champions League, I ticker each the games. I effort to analyse similar what are the things that I tin improve. And honestly, erstwhile I was watching Mumbai City play oregon adjacent immoderate different squad play. I got I got much ideas that what each things I tin bash due to the fact that if I enactment myself successful that position, what should I? So I deliberation each those things besides volition assistance maine to amended my crippled erstwhile I’m back," helium added.

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