Charly Musonda, a former Chelsea starlet, discusses how he went from being football’s next big thing to being forgotten at Chelsea for three years.
Meanwhile, Musonda was regarded as the natural successor to Eden Hazard after making his Chelsea debut in 2017, but he suffered a serious injury while on loan at Vitesse Arnhem in 2018.
Musonda was forced to undergo a potentially career-ending operation after it reoccurred early in the next term during a second Vitesse spell.
The now-Levante star claims he was on the verge of quitting football after being isolated by Chelsea and friends.
“It’s something I still think about now,” Musonda told SportsBible. I’ve squandered so much time. Injuries happen to everyone. But you never anticipate it taking that long. I wasn’t sure if I’d ever be able to play again.
“Doctors said I’d never be the same after that day. They basically told me that if I had the surgery, it would likely be the end of my career. That’s what I’ve been told.
“It was a desolate place. I’ve been living alone for three or four years. When the crutches came off after the first year, I told myself, ‘OK, listen, you’re alone, and you have to embrace it.’
“There weren’t many people to speak with. Only a few people called me during the four years I was injured to ask how I was doing. In fact, I can count the number of those people on two hands.
“The first year, people were in contact but, as the years went on, fewer and fewer people got in touch. That’s just the way things are. It is not anyone’s fault. However, this can have a psychological impact on people.
“You go from Chelsea to being forgotten two or three years later.”
