'Another low' - Leeds United star opens up on 'gutting' injury nightmare
It's been a season of injury frustration for Leeds United Championship title-winner Daniel James.
Leeds United winger Daniel James has opened up on his recent injury nightmare with one particular moment leaving him ‘gutted’.
James was a key component of Leeds’ Championship title-winning side but since promotion has started just four Premier League games, thanks in part to fitness issues. The speedy winger sat out two brief spells in September before a more serious issue surfaced just as his side began to gain momentum.
Having started at Manchester City in November, the Welshman was one of two half-time changes now viewed as season-defining, with Daniel Farke also withdrawing Willy Gnonto and switching to a back-three. That decision contributed massively to survival but in James’ case, it was forced due to a hamstring injury that kept the 28-year-old out for two months.
“I got a rib injury at Fulham, which was so weird, then coming back from that I did my ankle in training, which was off a shot,” James told the Official Leeds United podcast. “I landed weird on my ankle but I came back within two weeks. We were playing well, and obviously it was harder to get minutes because if we're playing well and performing, it's going to be a bit harder, especially having been out a little while.
“I just worked really hard and felt really confident, used every day to get something out of training. Even if on the weekend, I wasn't playing as much, I felt like I worked really hard and ended up starting at City away. I felt I got my rewards to be able to start there.
“And just before half time, I did my hamstring. It was a tough one because I think at the time, it didn't feel that bad, but because there was tendon involved, I ended up being out eight weeks, which was another low. It was gutting.
‘To get an injury again was obviously so gutting’
“We [Wales] had just qualified for the World Cup qualifier playoffs so to get an injury again was obviously so gutting. Then you have just got to get yourself back up again because being out eight, nine weeks, you do lose a bit of fitness. And it was about building myself back up again. And I feel like I'm in that place now.”
Leeds are still having to carefully manage James’ minutes, with an adductor strain suffered last month once again halting momentum. The winger didn’t play a single minute of football through April but came off the bench for added-time last weekend as a 3-1 win over Burnley virtually guaranteed survival.
“I feel in a great place now and kind of feel what I felt like before the injury,” James added. “And I felt like that for a while. Obviously we've been playing well, so maybe minutes haven't come so much, but I feel confident.
“I feel amazing. I feel really confident. I feel great. I want to help the team as much as I can. Just using every day to improve and try and get as many minutes as possible.”