Tottenham midfielder Victor Wanyama has described his injury lay-off to the Daily Mail as the “lowest point of my career” but he no longer fears for his knee thanks to the expertise of the club’s coaching and medical staff led by “mad” Jesuz Perez.
Wanyama was sidelined for over four months with damaged knee cartilage before finally returning to action as a substitute in Spurs’ 2-0 win at Swansea City at the start of this month.
He has since made further appearances from the bench against West Ham United and Everton, and completed 90 minutes in the FA Cup win over Wimbledon.
Wanyama hurt his knee in a pre-season friendly in July but he featured in Spurs’ first two games of the season, playing 90 minutes against Chelsea before being ruled out for half of the season.
“I was so low, worrying about how long it would take,” the Kenya international told the Mail. “I’d go in for treatment then come home and ice the knee every two hours until 2 a.m. I’d try to sleep but I was thinking too much, worrying. I’d get up about 8 a.m. then go in for treatment again at 9 a.m. or 10 a.m.
“It wasn’t an easy process but [Spurs manager] Mauricio Pochettino said to me, ‘We don’t want you to repeat this injury, be patient, we want you to recover properly, no risks.'”
“It was euphoric when I finally returned to training. The medical team wanted to ensure we didn’t rush and that my recovery did not require surgery.
“It’s tough at Tottenham. Jesus Perez, the manager’s assistant, is mad. He knows everything about all of us, he works you hard with different ideas and it’s very fruitful. I lost 7 kg when I arrived at Tottenham from Southampton. He made me fitter. Every day now I feel stronger.
“When I came back against Swansea City, I had no pain and no fear about my knee. I trusted the guys who helped me and thanked them. I knew I was ready.”
OPINION
Most managers at the highest level usually have top-level assistants who loyally follow them from club to club and work expertly in the background. Perez is Pochettino’s right-hand man, working alongside the Argentine at Espanyol and Southampton before they joined forces for a third time at Spurs. A former fitness coach, he has carved out a reputation as a cajoler and bundle of energy who challenges, encourages and hectors the players while providing a buffer between them and Pochettino. The diminutive Spaniard is a phenomenally hard worker and regarded highly by the players, who respect him while also slightly fearing him.