I’ve not been the same since suffering ACL injury – Baba Rahman

The 26-year-old said he now has some limitations but is hopeful that he will overcome the injuries and return to his best.

“I’ve got some limitations and it makes me really sad but I know I can overcome all this,” he told Footballmadeinghana.

“If you have a ligament damage and you get it reconstructed, you’ll never be the same again. It might take some years before you get back to who you were and sometimes too never.”

Rahman was on a promising career path when he joined Chelsea in 2015 and was later loaned to Bundesliga side Schalke O4 for the 2016-17 season.

However, he suffered a ligament tear during Ghana’s opening game against Uganda at the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

That injury kept him on the sidelines for nearly 24 months, with the 26-year-old managing just 25 club games in the last four years.

Currently on loan at Greek side PAOK from Chelsea, Rahman is aiming to get back to his best and recently played in Ghana’s final AFCON qualifiers against South Africa and Sao Tome and Principe.

The defender also revealed that he nearly retired from football in 2019 due to his niggling injuries.

He noted that his injury struggles took a toll on him and once got him doubting if he could still continue playing football.

Asked if he ever considered quitting football, Rahman said: “Yes, that was in 2019. I just wanted to stop [playing] when I first heard about my injury.

“That was the first time I slept early in my life. Normally, I take time when I go to bed and when I first heard the news, I think I passed out in the next five minutes.

“I just wanted to call it quits but after waking up and making some calls and getting some considerations, I felt I still had a chance and I could still be on the pitch doing what I love.”

Rahman has played six games since joining PAOK in the Greek Super League this season and has scored one goal.