Marseille’s Abou Diaby has finally opened up on his horrific run of injuries and the tackle that has tarnished what many regarded as a very promising career.
Diaby, a former Arsenal midfielder, was touted as ‘another Patrick Vieira’ in his early days as a Gunner before a reckless challenge from Sunderland’s Dan Smith back in 2006 fractured and dislocated his ankle.
‘’Of course it is the moment that killed everything,” said Diaby, speaking to the Daily Mail.
“That’s where it all came from. It gave me a big restriction on my ankle and I overcompensated with other parts of my body. Before that, I’d never had a muscular injury, my lifestyle was good.”
A devastating run of luck followed – a reported 42 injuries between 2006-2015, with Diaby only managing two appearances in his last two seasons with Arsenal before being released in June 2015.
The former French international only made 182 appearances in total under Arsene Wenger, but has mostly come to peace with how his career has panned out so far.
“There is no resentment anymore. I left it behind a long time ago. The only thing I wish is that it happened later in my career.
“If it happened when I was 28, things might have been different. Between 19 and 27, I would have had time to progress, play every week and be the player I should have been.”
The 30-year-old did speak of the mental turmoil that such a string of injuries can bring, particularly as he looks to end his career in France.
“They say I’m ‘L’Homme de Verre.’ It means that I’m made of glass. It can be painful, on a psychological level. They don’t know how much I give every day of my life to try and recover. But hey, what can I do? This is my life story,” said Diaby.
The Paris native has started in two of Marseilles opening three games of the Ligue 1 season.
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