{"id":11702,"date":"2018-03-20T09:00:34","date_gmt":"2018-03-20T00:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/football-tribe.com\/asia\/?p=11702"},"modified":"2018-03-21T21:47:43","modified_gmt":"2018-03-21T12:47:43","slug":"brendan-gan-incredible-story-one-footballers-battle-two-acl-injuries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/football-tribe.com\/asia\/2018\/03\/20\/brendan-gan-incredible-story-one-footballers-battle-two-acl-injuries\/","title":{"rendered":"Brendan Gan: The incredible story of one footballer’s battle with two ACL injuries"},"content":{"rendered":"

There are certain people you meet in life, who have stories and have gone through experiences that can instantly alter the way you view the world, yourself, and the struggles you deal with. Australian-born Malaysian footballer, Brendan Gan is a perfect, perfect example.<\/p>\n

There aren\u2019t pinches of salt in my statement, nor is there a twist of exaggeration either. The story of Brendan, quite simply, is one filled with struggle, pain, disappointment, but also determination, willpower, mental fortitude and the most fundamental aspect of the human experience – hope.<\/p>\n

This is a man who battled back-to-back Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries in circumstances that were hardly ideal, with little to almost no support from his employers, and in a country he was only slowly starting to call home. While the football merry-go-round in Malaysia kept going, the ex-Sydney FC man was left to fight incredible battles on his own in Australia, with his family, friends and fiancee being the only form of support, both financially and emotionally.<\/p>\n

The first ACL tear happened on his right knee during the first match of the 2015 Malaysia Super League season. Ex-Middlesbrough star, George Boateng was the Kelantan head coach at that point, and Brendan was on the verge of fully stamping his name on the Malaysian stage, having made a strong impression after joining Kelantan as a naturalised Malaysian player, midway through the 2014 season. But he didn\u2019t even make it past the first game of the season. Midway through their season opener against ATM, Brendan tore the ACL on his right knee.<\/p>\n

He spent the rest of the year back in Australia, recovering and undergoing rehab by himself, with supervision from a trusted medical team. In January 2016, he was back in Kota Bharu again, raring to put the previous year behind and go at it with Kelantan. But less than seven months later, Brendan picked up another ACL tear, this time around on his left knee. The physical pain was unbearable, as anyone who has gone through an ACL injury would tell you. But the mental struggle almost drove him crazy.<\/p>\n

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Photo Credit: Brendan Gan<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cIt was the hardest time in my life. Going through a second ACL injury is difficult, because you know the process already. The first time, it was exciting, it was an adventure and everything was new to me. But the second time? It was boring, tedious and the mental side of things started getting to me. Prior to going through my first ACL injury, whenever I heard \u2018an athlete has ruptured their ACL\u2019 , it wouldn\u2019t really leave an impact on me because I never realised how much work had to be done to get back from such an injury. What slowly dawned upon me was how valuable mental strength becomes, in dealing with an ACL injury. It\u2019s wasn\u2019t easy for me at all,\u201d Brendan told Football Tribe Malaysia.<\/strong> <\/em><\/p>\n

The second injury happened while Brendan was with the Malaysian national team. Having played in virtually every single Kelantan game that season, Brendan travelled to Jakarta with the national team in September 2016. His legs needed a break but the stakes were too high for Brendan to not play – it was Indonesia\u2019s first official football match after the lift of a FIFA sanction, and the Gelora Bung Karno was absolutely rocking that night. At the request of head coach, Datuk Ong Kim Swee, Brendan agreed to play, not knowing that he was about to dive into abyss for the second time in his career.<\/p>\n

14 minutes into the game, he was down on the pitch, signalling to be substituted. There was a sense of familiarity about the injury and Brendan knew what had happened. The next day, he flew back to Kuala Lumpur and was immediately sent to get the relevant medical tests done and it wasn\u2019t a surprise when the results came out. Barely months before the AFF Suzuki Cup, Brendan had torn the ACL on his left knee. Having spent the first half of the season proving his mettle in the Malaysia Super League and establishing himself as arguably the best defensive midfielder in the country, he was robbed of the opportunity to carry that form and momentum into the biggest football tournament in Southeast Asia, for the first time in his career. <\/p>\n

More devastatingly, within the span of a week, Brendan had realized that the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) or even the Kelantan Football Association (KAFA) were not going to financially support his recovery and rehab. So he packed his bags and flew back to Australia to begin the painstaking process for the second time in two years.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat hurt the most was the timing, because I was in form and I was taking big strides in improving my overall game. I am all about self development, being better than I was yesterday, improving on all the small minor details and making sure I give 100% in everything I do. So to get cut down by a major injury automatically eliminates all the hard work and success I was having at that moment.<\/p>\n

\u201cFootball was a love and passion for me and it was never a job until the day I picked up my second injury. Having no financial help from my club or FAM was difficult. Investing in myself wasn\u2019t a difficult call to make, it was just frustrating because my family and I had to fork out our own money despite me still having an active contract at that point.\u201d<\/p>\n

Imagine that. You give you heart and soul on the field for your club and country as a footballer. You walk fearlessly into the battlefields, you crawl through trenches and you make sacrifices few people are willing to do. But when you find yourself getting hit by a bullet one day, your world caves in on you and all of a sudden, you\u2019re left alone by the powers that be. Left alone to bear the financial cost of recovery. Left alone to physically deal with the incredible pain. Left alone to fight a mental battle with anxiety, frustration and insecurities. Minutes begin to seem like days. Hours begin to seem like weeks. How does someone maintain their composure or even sanity in a situation like that?<\/p>\n

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Photo Credit: Brendan Gan<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI didn’t want to watch football, think about football or be around football. I watched a few Malaysia Super League games and national team games but for the most part, I wanted nothing to do with football. It hurt me to think about it, it made me anxious, frustrated and I\u2019d start asking negative questions like: \u201cWhy did this happen to me?\u201d. Injuries happen and it\u2019s part and parcel of being an athlete, let alone a footballer. But I didn\u2019t want to be surrounded by the one thing I loved, but couldn\u2019t do or participate in, for a prolonged period of time.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you are playing well everyone wants to be your friend, everyone wants to be a part of the success, but when your down or injured those people disappear and no one is around to help you through. You can get into your own mind and become very self obsessed when going through a long term injury as well. Thankfully, I had incredible support from family and friends. They were my biggest support system especially my fiancee.<\/p>\n

\u201cDuring rehab, she knew when to say \u2018get up and stop making excuses\u2019 and she also knew when to ask me to slow down a little bit. One of the hardest parts of rehab is you have days where you feel absolutely fantastic and you feel like you can be back playing on the pitch again. But those days can be dangerous because accidents can happen, and my fiancee understood this and was always able to notice when I pushing a little too hard.\u201d<\/p>\n

By October 2017, after almost a year of hard work and patience, Brendan was back to his functional best and felt confident enough to start talking to football clubs in Malaysia. He was a couple of months away from being fully fit to play football at a competitive level, but having survived the previous eight months, Brendan was more than positive about being able to reach said fitness levels. It was hardly a surprise that a significant number of clubs in Malaysia were interested in acquiring his services, but the midfielder eventually decided to move to the quaint city of Ipoh and sign for Perak The Bos Gaurus, due to several key reasons.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was all a bit of a whirlwind moment, because I had previously spoken to a few potential clubs and gained an understanding of who wanted my services and who didn’t. Then coach Mehmet called me and we discussed the possibility of working together, he told me about the club, the supporters and the city. Three days later, the deal was done!<\/p>\n

\u201cI love when I can gauge a feel for the club, a feel for what the coach wants and the feel for a club wanting me to be apart of the family and the success. Wherever Mehmet goes the team always looks united. He creates players who feed off of each other and allow each other to play to their true potential. That is why he has had success everywhere he has gone.<\/p>\n

\u201cSince joining Perak, everything has been amazing, from the lifestyle, to the players and coaches, to the management and most importantly the fans. I could not have asked for anything more and I feel so honoured to wear the badge of The Bos Gaurus.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Photo Credit: Brendan Gan<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

But now that he\u2019s back, Brendan has been slowly easing himself back into action. He hasn\u2019t played in every single Perak game so far, but when he has, the former Sydney FC midfielder has impressed at the heart of their midfield. After seven matches in six weeks, the team currently sits sixth on the table and they are also through to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. Brendan dreams of achieving big things with Perak, and wants to help the team win silverware but for the time being, he is determined to not get carried away.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don’t know if there is a way to describe the feeling of being back on the field amongst brilliant players and not wanting to let anyone down. It\u2019s a real blessing. I haven’t shown anything yet this season, as I’m still working my way back in. The fans have been amazing in supporting me and allowing me to find my feet as well. Without a doubt, I give 100% in every game and I never hold back, but it takes time to get that feel for the game back.”<\/p>\n

In all fairness, the nature of Brendan\u2019s story means it would have made total sense had he opted to walk away from football in 2016. He was 28, had picked up a second ACL injury, and was left to fend for himself by the club and the national team he proudly represented, while being thousands of kilometres away from his loved ones. Sure, football is a beautiful game. But is it really worth all the pain, struggle and sacrifice Brendan had to live through? Is it really worth it?<\/p>\n

\u201cIn my mind, there was never a time where I thought of quitting football altogether. I knew I could make it back and I knew deep down inside that I wanted to continue fight for a job I love doing. People talk about the perks of the job all the time, but trust me, the best thing about being a footballer is getting on that field in front of a full stadium. It\u2019s what I\u2019ve always wanted to do, and it ever stops feeling amazing. I would give anything to play in any game, whether a league match, or a cup game or a national team fixture.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut more importantly, the two battles I\u2019ve gone through were very personal. I was never going to let an injury set the terms for the end of my career. This is a career I\u2019ve fought so hard for and I want to finish it and put an end to it on my own terms. That desire alone drove me through the difficult days and brought me where I am today.\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Thank you for being an absolute inspiration, Brendan!<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There are certain people you meet in life, who have stories and have gone through experiences that can instantly alter the way you view the world, yourself, and the struggles you deal with. Australian-born Malaysian footballer, Brendan Gan is a perfect, perfect example. There aren\u2019t pinches of salt in my statement, nor is there a twist of exaggeration either. The story of Brendan, quite simply, is one filled with struggle, pain, disappointment, but also determination, willpower, mental fortitude and the most fundamental aspect of the human experience – hope. This is a man who battled back-to-back Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries in circumstances that were hardly ideal, with little to … Continue reading “Brendan Gan: The incredible story of one footballer’s battle with two ACL injuries”<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":90,"featured_media":11704,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[857,26],"tags":[1332,1218,1334,1333,568],"class_list":["post-11702","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-malaysia","category-southeast-asia","tag-brendan-gan","tag-kelantan","tag-malayan-tigers","tag-perak","tag-sydney-fc"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/football-tribe.com\/asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11702","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/football-tribe.com\/asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/football-tribe.com\/asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/football-tribe.com\/asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/90"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/football-tribe.com\/asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11702"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/football-tribe.com\/asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11702\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/football-tribe.com\/asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11704"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/football-tribe.com\/asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11702"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/football-tribe.com\/asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11702"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/football-tribe.com\/asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11702"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}