'Have Not Forgotten The Football That I Play': Akash Mishra Opens Up On Mental Demons During Rehab
Akash Mishra recounts the mental battles during rehab after undergoing ACL surgery during the last year, Mumbai City FC's help and his plans for the upcoming season.
Akash Mishra was forced to the sidelines for over a year after injuring his Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) during the 2023-24 Indian Super League (ISL) playoff in April.
The Mumbai City FC defender underwent ACL surgery in May and then began his long and arduous journey to recovery.
'It was not easy," Akash told News18 in an exclusive interview, stressing the gruelling mental aspect post-surgery.
'The pain of surgery is not as difficult as the journey. You have to do the same thing again and again, and again. When you are done after the surgery, after one month, all you have to do is just some little exercise on the bed. You can't move anywhere. You can't do things on your own. To lie down on a bed for one month, do nothing, actually it's more difficult mentally."
The 23-year-old was quick to thank Mumbai City FC and head coach Petr Kratky for helping him on his road to recovery.
advetisement
'I got injured in the (ISL playoff) semi-final. We played the second leg, then we played the final. I was with them then even after the season got finished. The physio team was with me in Mumbai. I was there doing my rehab, because you need some kind of strength before the surgery. I came home for a month. I operated in Bombay and the team physio was there all the time with me. It was off-season, everybody wanted to go home. But the physio team cancelled their holidays and they were there with me in Bombay during my rehab. So yeah, I think without them it would have been more difficult," he said.
'I still remember when I after my injury, I texted our director (of football) Sujay Sharma saying that only one year gone and I'm injured. I'll be out for a whole season. I know there are lot of expectations even I also want to do more for the club. But then he texted me in a very nice way saying that, see, Akash, you are more important. And for us, you take how much time it requires, how much time it takes. We are never going to push you," Akash recalled.
Akash revealed that he was with the club during his rehab over the last year, attending MCFC's home matches and seeing the team train, but coach assured him to take his time and recover well.
'After the final last year when I got injured, he told me that Akash, 'all these things happen' because he said that 'I've seen I've seen much more football than you'. So I know all these things happen and I know mentally you will be like, 'Oh no, I want to come back faster'," Akash said.
Learning From Chhetri And Chhangte
The left-back had moved to the Marina Arena just ahead of the 2023-24 season and has missed out on a season's action already. Asked what he intends to do differently, given the possibility of the injury recurring, he said, 'From my point of view, I'm doing everything. Since my ACL, I have become a more knowledgeable athlete. Before in the national team we used to listen to Sunil (Chhetri) bhai. Even in our club, of course, Lallianzuala Chhangte is an idol for everyone. We know Chhangte takes care of his body, how he what he eats, how he works out when he does all those things."
Advertisement
'So since my injury, like I had a lot of time to reflect on myself, my body, my habits, which I could have changed before but I did not. Yes, I accept all those are my fault. But now I know what to eat, when to eat, when to sleep. I sleep early, I wake up early. So all those small things, I think they will improve me as a player and most important it will improve my body and I feel if my body is much better from what it was before. I hope, I don't get any injury," he added.
Mumbai did not have an 'ideal' season after winning the ISL league shield or the ISL cup in the two previous seasons, scraping through to the knockouts after finishing sixth. Akash said it was 'tough to watch' from the outside.
'I know why fans are frustrated. When we started the season, there were so many new players coming in. I think we took time to adjust. How they say in football, sometimes it's unfair. I've seen all the players throughout the season, every match day -2 and match day -1, they were trying, they were pushing, they were motivating each other. But it's just that sometimes in football, you don't get the result that you want," he said.
advetisement
As for his plans for the upcoming season, Akash said: 'For me as an individual is to come back, start the pre-season from day one fully fit. And we as a team, of course, we just want to keep the last season in the past and start afresh. Even before leaving, we had team meetings. Everybody knows what we expect from the next season."
No Monolo Quota
Missing out on football has also meant others have taken his place in the national set-up, but with his old coach Manolo Marquez at the helm now, Akash is not looking that far ahead.
'There is no quota, like – Aakash Mishra is fit, let's bring him back – because personally I know coach Manolo. There is nothing like this. If I perform well, then only I'll get a call-up," he said.
top videos
View All
'But of course, as a former player, I want to do well and try to be back as soon as possible. To be honest, I have not forgotten the football that I play. But yes, because of one year's injury, things have changed."
'Even the football has gone a little ahead. But I keep watching all the games. I watch Indian football, I watch Premier League, I watch Champions League, I watch all the games. I try to analyse like what are the things that I can improve. And honestly, when I was watching Mumbai City play or even any other team play. I got I got more ideas that what all things I can do because if I put myself in that position, what should I? So I think all those things also will help me to improve my game once I'm back," he added.
News18 Sports brings you the latest updates, live commentary, and highlights from cricket, football, tennis, badmintion, wwe and more. Catch breaking news, live scores, and in-depth coverage. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated!
tags :
ACL Akash Mishra indian football isl mcfc mumbai city fc
Location :
Kolkata, India, India
First Published:
May 28, 2025, 07:57 IST
News sports » football EXCLUSIVE | 'Have Not Forgotten The Football That I Play': Akash Mishra Opens Up On Mental Demons During Rehab
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
15 minutes ago
- News18
'Don't Know How Long I'll Stop For': Pep Guardiola Confirms Break From Football After Man City Exit
Pep Guardiola reiterated his belief that he will take a significant break from football after his tenure at City ends in 2027. Pep Guardiola is a man of his word. The Manchester City boss has yet again confirmed that he will take a significant break from football management after his tenure at the Etihad ends. The 54-year-old Spaniard, who has become the most successful manager in Manchester City's history, has collected 18 trophies during his reign, including six Premier League titles and one Champions League crown. Though his current contract runs until 2027, Guardiola made it clear in a new interview with GQ Spain that his departure from the club will also mark a pause in his managerial career. 'I know that after this stage with City I'm going to stop, that's for sure," Guardiola said. 'It's decided, more than decided." 'I don't know how long I'll stop for — a year, two years, three years, five, ten, fifteen — I don't know. But I will leave after this spell with City because I need to stop and focus on myself, on my body." In May, Guardiola had already hinted at his City exit, stating that he intended to leave once his current deal expires. Despite signing a contract extension as recently as November, the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss is clear about stepping away when this chapter closes. 'I've spent four or five months this year in every away stadium with the crowd chanting, 'You'll be sacked in the morning. They're going to fire you'," he noted. 'There's no other profession — architect, teacher, doctor, journalist — where 60,000 people ask you to lose your job." Last season proved testing both on and off the pitch. City were plagued by injuries, including a major blow in September when Ballon d'Or winner Rodri suffered a right ACL injury. The club suffered its earliest Champions League exit since the 2012–13 campaign and finished third in the Premier League, far from the dominance they've shown in previous years. Guardiola acknowledged that a downturn was inevitable. 'When you win six Premier Leagues, there comes a time when you go down. It's human nature… It's a process that had to happen. It took longer to happen, and when it did, it went deeper than we could have imagined." Despite the recent setbacks, Guardiola remains optimistic about the upcoming season — and about Manchester City's long-term prospects. 'Speaking on behalf of Manchester City, it has been very healthy for us," he said. 'Because success can confuse you. It hasn't confused us for many years, but this year the players have been injured a lot." He added that the adversity could serve as a springboard for future success. 'I think it will be very good for the next five or ten years. And next year, we'll do better." Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
3 hours ago
- Business Standard
AIFF to announce head coach on Aug 1; Constantine and Jamil top contenders
The next head coach of the Indian men's football team is set to be announced on August 1 when the executive committee of the national federation meets here with Khalid Jamil emerging as the frontrunner for the vacant job. While Jamil appears to be the preferred candidate of the technical committee of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) in the three-man short-list, former India coach Stephen Constantine too remains in contention for the top job. "Yes, the executive committee is meeting on August 1 to take a decision on the men's senior national team head coach," a top official of the AIFF said. "The members have been given the CVs of all the three short-listed candidates and what they want as remuneration, etc.," he added. The executive committee has a single point agenda -- the appointment of the men's senior national team head coach. Given the AIFF's current financial constraints, Jamil will be the favourite to succeed Manolo Marquez as the new head coach. Since the 48-year-old Jamil is currently with Indian Super League side Jamshedpur FC, he can immediately hit the road and be ready for the national team assignments. There is a FIFA international match window in September and India play their AFC Asian Cup qualifying round games on October 9 and 14 -- against Singapore home and away. A former India mid-fielder and now an AFC Pro Licensed coach, Jamil was named the AIFF Coach of Year for 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons. Marquez was in a dual role before parting of ways with the AIFF earlier this month. He was head coach of ISL side FC Goa simultaneously. But it is not yet clear whether Jamil will also perform dual role or whether he will leave his work at Jamshedpur FC if he gets the India job. "It's the call of the executive committee and the members will take into account various factors," the source added. The AIFF had also said that the executive committee, if required, can seek more names for the head coach's job. "A key takeaway from the deliberations was the shared view that appointing a coach with a deep understanding of the Asian and Indian football ecosystem would be highly beneficial to the national team's immediate and future success," the AIFF said on Saturday. In terms of international experience, Constantine is way ahead of Jamil. The Anglo-Cypriot has been in charge of the Indian team twice earlier -- from 2002 to 2005, and from 2015 to the Asian Cup in 2019. The 62-year-old UEFA Pro License holder has also coached East Bengal in the Indian Super League in 2022-23, and was till recently head coach of Pakistan. He has earlier worked as head coach of countries like Nepal, Malawi and Rwanda. The third name in the short-list sent to the executive committee by the AIFF technical committee, led by former captain IM Vijayan, is the 52-year-old Stefan Tarkovic, who has earlier coached the Slovakia national team from 2020 to 2022. He was the Kyrgyzstan coach in 2023-2024.
India Today
5 hours ago
- India Today
Indian football team to get new head coach on August 1, Khalid Jamil front-runner
The next head coach of the Indian men's football team is set to be announced on August 1 when the executive committee of the national federation meets here with Khalid Jamil emerging as the frontrunner for the vacant job. While Jamil appears to be the preferred candidate of the technical committee of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) in the three-man short-list, former India coach Stephen Constantine too remains in contention for the top the executive committee is meeting on August 1 to take a decision on the men's senior national team head coach," a top official of the AIFF said. "The members have been given the CVs of all the three short-listed candidates and what they want as remuneration, etc.," he added. The executive committee has a single point agenda -- the appointment of the men's senior national team head the AIFF's current financial constraints, Jamil will be the favourite to succeed Manolo Marquez as the new head coach. Since the 48-year-old Jamil is currently with Indian Super League side Jamshedpur FC, he can immediately hit the road and be ready for the national team assignments. There is a FIFA international match window in September and India play their AFC Asian Cup qualifying round games on October 9 and 14 -- against Singapore home and away.A former India midfielder and now an AFC Pro Licensed coach, Jamil was named the AIFF Coach of the Year for the 2023-24 and 2024–25 was in a dual role before parting of ways with the AIFF earlier this month. He was head coach of ISL side FC Goa it is not yet clear whether Jamil will also perform dual role or whether he will leave his work at Jamshedpur FC if he gets the India job."It's the call of the executive committee and the members will take into account various factors," the source AIFF had also said that the executive committee, if required, can seek more names for the head coach's job."A key takeaway from the deliberations was the shared view that appointing a coach with a deep understanding of the Asian and Indian football ecosystem would be highly beneficial to the national team's immediate and future success," the AIFF said on terms of international experience, Constantine is way ahead of Jamil. The Anglo-Cypriot has been in charge of the Indian team twice earlier -- from 2002 to 2005, and from 2015 to the Asian Cup in 62-year-old UEFA Pro License holder has also coached East Bengal in the Indian Super League in 2022-23, and was till recently head coach of has earlier worked as head coach of countries like Nepal, Malawi and third name in the short-list sent to the executive committee by the AIFF technical committee, led by former captain IM Vijayan, is the 52-year-old Stefan Tarkovic, who has earlier coached the Slovakia national team from 2020 to 2022. He was the Kyrgyzstan coach in 2023-2024.- Ends
