The road to recovery: Benny Henrichs on his comeback journey | OneFootball

Over the past 11 months, Benjamin Henrichs has really gotten to know the less desirable side of life as a professional footballer. Just before Christmas last year, our defender ruptured his Achilles tendon in a match against Bayern Munich. Since then, he has been working towards his return, on a long road to recovery that hasn’t always been easy, and is still a far cry from sunshine and rainbows.

Appearing on Sky’s ‘Spielmacher’ podcast with Sebastian Hellmann, Benny explained how he coped with the difficult situation and what things are keeping him motivated. Our No. 39 is absolutely determined to be back on the pitch soon.

Focusing on himself

Benny spent most of his rehabilitation training alone at Cottaweg, away from his teammates, hearing and seeing nothing of the first team. “It was extremely hard to accept that the boys were going out to train and talking all about it, while I was so far away from everything,” he admitted.

He eventually found it easier to focus in a quieter environment, namely a specific area of the training ground. “For the first seven or eight months, I trained almost exclusively down in the running zone,” revealed the 28-year-old. The women’s team often trained there as well: “I actually ended up spending more time with the RBL Women than with my own team.”

Benny is now edging closer to full team training and has already completed initial individual sessions on the pitch. He smiles: “Suddenly you’re doing running sessions and you’re so excited about it.” Why? His answer is simple: “Because, finally, you’re capable of doing it again.”

Faith over fear

For a long time, that progress seemed far away. Due to the severity of the injury, Benny had to learn how to properly walk and run again. One can imagine how huge a mental challenge that must be. “It’s not that easy to stay positive all the time,” he admitted.

During the difficult phases when progress stalled or setbacks hit, his faith helped him push through. It’s no coincidence that he titled his recovery documentary on YouTube “Faith over Fear.”

“My faith gives me incredible strength. When you go through something like this, it becomes even more important to focus on the things you can control. That’s what I do, and in those moments, the strength and faith are greater than the fear,” explained the committed Christian.

The role of Joshua Kimmich

As someone who had never dealt with a major injury before, Benny has learnt a lot throughout this period. For example, one key lesson for the defender was to stop comparing his rehab progress to others. “Those are experiences I’m having now because this is my first major injury,” he said.

Of course, he has also been able to lean on staunch support around him from family, friends and fellow players. Among them is former Leipzig midfielder and current Germany national team captain Joshua Kimmich. “He messaged me the most, it was crazy. Almost every two weeks: ‘How are you doing?’, ‘We need you, we miss you,’” Benny said of the FC Bayern star.

Jonathan Tah (also FC Bayern), a close friend from their Leverkusen days, was another key figure supporting Benny. “It gives you a good feeling, like you’re not being forgotten,” he said.

Encouraging others

During his period on the sidelines, Benny has also become a source of support and encouragement for others. He reached out to Martin Terrier (Bayer 04 Leverkusen), who himself tore his Achilles tendon just a few weeks after Benny. The two exchanged messages and supported each other through their recovery journeys.

“I think it makes a big difference when you’ve gone through the same injury yourself. You get a much better understanding of the whole thing.”

The World Cup as extra motivation

Benny eventually stopped setting a strict return date in order to avoid putting unhelpful pressure on himself. But the 19-time Germany international is keeping one major target in mind: the 2026 World Cup. “My big goal is to make it there as a key player. I’m training really hard and giving everything to work towards that.”

First, though, he wants to deliver strong performances for the Red Bulls. Even before that, there's an even simpler wish. His eyes light up when discussing the future: “I just want to be fit and play. I can’t wait for the day I’m finally allowed to play football again.”

And we can’t wait either, Benny!

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