AFC Bournemouth striker Callum Wilson recently completed a three-week treatment plan at Aspetar, one of the leading orthopaedic and sports medicine hospitals, in Doha.
The 25-year-old striker’s season ended prematurely after he ruptured his left anterior cruciate ligament in training last February, bringing him to Aspetar for treatment and rehabilitation.
During his stay at Aspetar, Wilson benefited from the expertise of Aspetar’s renowned specialists in sports medicine, sports science, orthopaedic surgery and rehabilitation. As part of the hospital’s efforts to assist athletes in achieving their maximum performance and full potential, Aspetar’s team took Wilson through a comprehensive treatment process to assess his injury and prepare a treatment plan to get him back on the field as soon as possible.
Speaking about his decision to choose Aspetar, Wilson said, “There was really no better place for me to come for consultation and treatment than one of the world’s leading institutions in sports medicine and exercise science. It’s also great to get away to a new location where you can concentrate fully on recovery without the pressures associated with your home base.”
He added, “My family is also here with me in Doha on a brief vacation from London and they’ve immensely enjoyed their stay, taking advantage of the great entertainment options Doha has to offer. Knowing that my family is here while I’m undergoing rehabilitation has been very motivating.”
Praising his stay in Aspetar, Wilson said, “My experience with Aspetar has been excellent and very productive so far. I’ve been here for two and a half weeks and I enjoyed every minute of it. The coaches working with me are on a mission to help me achieve my maximum performance and full potential and I already feel the difference. I have numerous people to thank here for making me more knowledgeable about my body and more aware on how to protect it from injury out on the field. I’ll take this knowledge with me back to England to aid me throughout my career.”
He added, “The facilities at Aspetar are truly world-class and fantastic. They are designed as a one-stop-shop for athletes to receive treatment, go through rehabilitation and training. Players have all they need here from gym facilities, pools to weights training, which complements the treatment process to ensure a quicker recovery.
“The state-of-the art equipment and technologies also allow for monitoring and assessment to course correct my treatment plan as we go along, which has made all the difference in making sure my body gets exactly what it needs to heal.”
This is Wilson’s second cruciate knee ligament injury and experts have ruled him out for at least six months, marking the end of his season. “I think for me, personally, six goals in 20 games is not good enough. I set high standards for myself and, unfortunately, my goal-to-game ratio wasn’t as good as what it could’ve been this year as a result of the injury. If not for the injury, I could have changed some of my tactics and improved my game,” Wilson said.
He added, “The hardest thing about being injured is not being able to do what you love doing. Injury prevents you from training every day and playing matches with your teammates, which is tough because football is my passion. I’ve always wanted to be a football player, so the hardest part is when that is taken away from me especially when my team is having a really positive season. Remaining in the premier league is a massive achievement.”
Commenting on his expected recovery, he added: “I don’t want to put a timescale on things but I’m hoping to be back by pre-season. I’ve progressed tremendously in these two and a half weeks, and I can already see that my muscles have massively improved, as did my strength and diet regiment.”
On another note, Wilson expressed his opinions regarding Qatar’s hosting of the World Cup 2022 saying, “I think Qatar is properly equipped to host the World Cup, as can be seen from the projects that are currently being developed, like the Khalifa International Stadium next door and the Rail system that’s being built underground. I hope I can return to Qatar in a more active fashion to represent England in 2022.”
Wilson’s visit comes shortly after Aspetar marked its 10th year anniversary in April. Wilson took the opportunity to congratulate the hospital, saying, “I’d also like to congratulate Aspetar for hitting the 10-year mark. I hope it will have many more successful years ahead. Its impressive growth will have all the best players in the world flock in for treatments in no time.” AFC Bournemouth striker Callum Wilson (left) recently completed a three-week treatment plan at Aspetar.