Defender, Kjell Knops, has praised Port Vale Football Club for the excellent support he has received during his road to recovery.
The 29-year old suffered an ACL injury last season which required surgery, which unfortunately lead to an infection.
Despite months of frustration and heartbreak, Knops is now out of hospital and has said he is feeling better, but knows there is a lot to do before he is back up and running properly.
“I left the hospital about a week ago and I’m already feeling a little better”, he said.
“The last couple of weeks to two months have been a really big setback for me. Eventually, they will have to take my ACL out because of the infection – I spent a total of five weeks in hospital.
“I’m now home for one week, getting infusions everyday and antibiotics for the next three weeks so hopefully I can improve daily and after the three weeks, I can stop the antibiotics.”
England is still a fairly new country to Kjell as he tell told the local media of his frustrations about not seeing his family during this difficult period.
“It’s difficult because I have been feeling awful.
“Mentally and physically, it has been a tough time. My family try to visit me as much as they can but obviously they have work in Holland so for a couple of weeks I was alone in hospital and it’s difficult when you feel awful.
“I had another three surgeries for my ACL and I wanted my family around me, so it was difficult.”
Over the last few months, Knops says that Vale have treated him excellently through this tough time and received calls almost every day to check upon his progress.
“They have been really good, they have offered me everything!
“They try to do what they can and the weeks that I spent in hospital, they would make phone calls to see how I was and speak to the specialist. Yesterday, I got my rehab plan and I’m just going to do everything I can to get fit again.”