Sporting key man endured tough times, couldn’t even get out of bed | OneFootball

Sporting player went through a difficult period, as he suffered a serious injury in 2023, and says he went through depression

Luis Suárez’s start to the season has been positive, as he has managed to showcase his quality in the first months with Sporting. Even so, the Colombian went through a difficult period, as he suffered a serious injury in 2023, and says he went through depression.

“I went through a depression that I came out of little by little, with work and psychologists. I couldn’t even get out of bed. I had an injury, but without it I wouldn’t have hit rock bottom. It served to strengthen my mental capacity. When I was injured I felt I could have lost everything... If I hadn’t lived through those difficult moments, I wouldn’t be the player I am today,” he told El Espectador.

In a good moment at Sporting, Suárez acknowledges the effort: “Today I enjoy the game more, I’m making the most of it. I never put on airs because I didn’t know how far I could go. I came from the bottom and sometimes it feels like I’m living in a movie. When you start out, you don’t know where you’re going to get, or how. What you can do is work.”

“I wanted to change everything. I let my hair grow a bit, I changed the name on the shirt. These are stages you close and others you open,” Suárez explained, pointing to the changes he made after a fibula fracture. “Today I understand that football isn’t just about running or scoring goals, but also enjoying what you do,” said the Sporting forward.

“I’m at a different point of maturity. Maybe before I wasn’t at the perfect point, but now I’ve found complete confidence, knowing myself better physically and knowing what my strengths are,” assured Suárez, before expressing immense happiness at representing Colombia: “I made a promise to my grandfather that I would play with the national team shirt. This means being with my idols. I grew up watching them qualify for World Cups. Now I have a different mindset.”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.