Aston Villa winger Leon Bailey has taken to Instagram to release a heartfelt message to fans as his injury woes continue.
The 24-year-old has endured a frustrating first campaign in England having arrived in the west Midlands for £25m from Bayer Leverkusen last summer.
His former coach Heiko Herrlich previously suggested that he “can do anything” such is his undeniable ability but an injury-riddled season has hindered his progression.
The latest setback came in Villa’s 2-0 win over Norwich last weekend when the Jamaican international had to be substituted 40 minutes in when he sustained an ankle injury much to the disappointment of his manager Steven Gerrard who said after the game:
“It’s an ankle issue. In terms of the extent and the damage, I’m sure he’ll be MRI scanned in the next 24 to 48 hours. I’m really disappointed and frustrated for him because he’s worked really hard to get back, he’s been training ever so well.”
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Although no formal diagnosis of the injury has been made, taking to Instagram Bailey posted a defiant message to his followers:
‘This season has been very tough, but God gives the hardest battles to his strongest soldiers. The most important thing is to overcome all those obstacles in your way & never give up, that’s what makes you a solid/stronger individual. I just wanna say I really appreciate all the love and support from everyone & I’ll be back VERY soon.’
TIF Thoughts on Bailey and Villa…
The £27m-rated sparkplug sat out five of their first eight league fixtures before a thigh problem saw him ruled out for over two months between December and February which has limited his playing time to just 754 minutes in the league with one goal and two assists.
He featured in each of the Villains’ last six games and had begun to show signs of the player who provided 65 goal contributions in 156 games at Leverkusen.
Although it has not gone to plan so far, the winger seems more determined than ever to put things right and he has the potential to bounce back next season and nail down a starting berth in Gerrard’s side.