Everton’s Portugal midfielder on his horrific injury, his long road back to fitness and life under Carlo Ancelotti
Everton’s André Gomes had so many messages of support from footballers around Europe during his recovery from his horrific ankle dislocation fracture that he is reluctant to name names. “I cannot possibly mention everybody, so it would be unfair to pick out just a few,” the midfielder says. “There were texts and calls from
Spain and Portugal and all over
England, including one or two that I didn’t expect. I was surprised when Alan Shearer got in touch, for instance, if I can give just one illustration of support from someone who doesn’t even know me. He told me he had recovered from something similar that had also happened at Goodison.”
Gomes was contacted in the immediate aftermath of the accident in a game against
Tottenham in November not only by Son Heung-min, who held himself responsible, but also by Serge Aurier and Eric Dier. “All the Spurs players were really nice to me. Son just wanted to apologise but I explained to him that sometimes things like this happen, and obviously he hadn’t done it on purpose. If I had thought anyone had done it on purpose it would have made the situation even worse.”