Steven Taylor is out for the season

[Guest alex]

Bit daft that imo. Fair enough it should've been a red card but to then say that caused the injuries is a bit OTT. As an aside, Taylor does get injured a lot (and has done throughout his career) which is another reason why the lack of cover at CB is unforgivable.

[ewerk 31221]

Newcastle's Steven Taylor on coping with a long-term injury

 

By Steven Taylor

Hi. I'm Steven Taylor. I ruptured my Achilles tendon playing for Newcastle United against Chelsea in December and I now face months of rehabilitation to try to regain my fitness. My aim here is to give an insight into the recovery and the healing process - as well as the boredom that professional sports people sometimes go through when they face long-term injuries.

 

THE INJURY

 

When it happened I didn't realise that I was injured. I immediately thought I had been kicked hard in the back of the leg. I felt a sharp pain and I turned around expecting to see the blue shirt of a Chelsea player. But there was no-one there.

 

I couldn't understand it. I thought it was my calf muscle and I bent down to feel it.

 

Then I noticed that my foot wasn't right. It was floppy but there was no pain. I tried to walk but my foot just wouldn't work.

 

I checked my boot to see if any of the studs had come out but they were all there. All the time my foot was flopping inside my boot, independent from my ankle and out of my control.

 

That's when I knew something wasn't right - I just didn't know how bad it was.

 

I hobbled off to the dressing room and Newcastle's physio, Derek Wright, took a look at me. I asked him what was wrong.

 

When he said, "It's not too good Steven", my heart sank. I've known Derek for years and he doesn't sugar-coat bad news. He told me I needed surgery as I had likely ruptured my Achilles tendon.

 

I knew from other players who had suffered similar injuries that it spelt the end of my season. I was pleased Derek was so honest but the news devastated me. I've been playing well and Newcastle have had some fantastic results. The news that I had played my last part in the team's success this season came crashing down on me.

 

The rest of the team trooped back into the changing room and all the lads came over to see me. They meant well but seeing my team-mates just made me feel worse. I wanted to be among them and not lying on a treatment table getting their sympathy. Those moments in that changing room have to be the lowest I've ever felt in my career.

 

Derek and Dave Henderson, one of Newcastle's other physios, strapped my leg up and put me on crutches. My dad drove me back to his house and Newcastle got on with the job of arranging my surgery.

 

THE OPERATION

 

I couldn't sleep on Saturday night. Apart from being in physical discomfort, the prospect of being out injured and missing the rest of the season continued to haunt me.

 

A car came to collect me on Sunday night and I was driven down to London. My surgery was scheduled for seven in the morning on Monday at the Lister Hospital in, ironically, Chelsea.

 

I was restless on Sunday knowing that the surgeon's knife awaited me. When Monday finally arrived, my surgery was delayed. I hate waiting and, as the hours passed, I just grew more and more nervous.

 

DID YOU KNOW?

 

Taylor has endured a difficult season with injuries - before rupturing his Achilles, he had been wearing a protective face mask after breaking his nose in Newcastle's game against Wigan in October

 

Finally at noon I was told the surgeon was ready. As I waited for the anaesthetic to be given to me, the door to the operating theatre swung open.

 

All I could see was the foot of the patient who was being operated on before me - a foot lying motionless on the operating table.

 

"That's going to be me in a few minutes," I said to myself and the nerves kicked in once again. I tried to stay positive but it's difficult when you're waiting for an operation that you hope will enable you to play the sport you love again.

 

The anaesthetic finally wore off at around two in the afternoon and I woke up to find Dave Henderson in front of me. He told me the good news that the operation had gone as well as could be expected. I stayed overnight and was taken back to the North East on Tuesday.

 

THE AFTERMATH

 

Now I'm on the sofa at my mum and dad's house, leg elevated and with daytime television to keep me company. I am watching lots of football and DVDs - and I have had my manager, Alan Pardew, and all of my team-mates on the phone asking how I'm doing.

 

I have to inject myself in the stomach each morning with penicillin and take tablets to stop potential blood clots. Having to do this just brings home how serious this is. As I hold the needle in my hand it all feels very surreal. I should be on the training pitch getting ready to face Norwich City this weekend and instead I am having to make sure my injury doesn't get worse.

 

But this is what I have to do to get fit again.

 

But I keep thinking of that game against Norwich. It kills me a little bit to think that, instead of running out at Carrow Road on Saturday wearing the black and white shirt, I'll be on my parents' sofa listening to the action on the radio.

 

Players like David Beckham and Yakubu at Blackburn have had Achilles tendon injuries. I draw inspiration from the fact that they're back and playing at the top level again.

 

So I know this is what I have to do and there's no easy route to take. The fight starts here.

[Happy Face 29]

He was driven to London with his leg fucked? Not flown?

[Toonpack 9973]

He was driven to London with his leg fucked? Not flown?

 

Probably, I did my MCL on holiday and then flew home. My own doc sent me immediately for scans because of the risk of deep vein thrombosis because of the internal injury. Flying not recommended.

[luckyluke 2]

He was driven to London with his leg fucked? Not flown?

 

Not really a reason for him to fly. It's the immobility that puts you at risk of a DVT btw, not the fact that you're on a plane. o you can get them from long distance car journeys too. Newcastle-London isn't really worth it though.

 

 

His description of his injury, looking for the Chelsea player who didn't hit him is, is a classic history of an achilles rupture.

Edited December 11, 2011 by luckyluke

[Christmas Tree 4844]

Firstly, let me start by apologising for leaving it so long since my last blog.

 

Having ruptured my Achilles against Chelsea back at the start of December, and undergoing surgery on it, I have been putting all my efforts into getting fit again.

 

I have neglected the blog and for that I'm sorry!

 

To give you an update on my fitness, I was wearing a protective boot for a while, but that came off at the end of January and it was the best feeling ever. The only problem is that I've got chicken legs now, so I need to sort them out and get them filled out!

 

But seriously it makes me now feel like I'm getting somewhere and I'm delighted with that. I'm getting back in the gym, back in the swing of things and I'm working hard again.

 

I wasn't able to do too much with the boot on - I had to be careful. But I'm getting more confident now and I know I'm in safe hands with the medical team here. I've just got to take it one step at a time.

 

At the moment I'm doing a lot of work on the movement of my ankle to try and strengthen it up and the muscles all around it. It's going to take time and it's baby steps but I realise that and will stay patient.

 

I'm in the training ground every single day, sometimes twice a day, and that's what I need.

 

I've missed it. You do miss it, and it's not nice when you spend your days lazing around the house, you can only lie there and rest your leg and watch daytime television - and that's made me go even more grey than I was before!

 

But it's nice to see the lads every day and have a bit of banter because missing that was hurting me a lot. Getting back into the training ground and being in the gym is what I want to be doing and it feels good.

 

We've got a massive couple of weeks coming up with home games against Wolves this Saturday and then Sunderland the following weekend.

 

For me, there's no bigger game than the Tyne-Wear derby. Sunderland are on a fantastic run of form at the moment with a new manager, but from my experience when you come into these derby games form goes right out of the window.

 

I don't care how well we play or how poor we play as long as we get the result, and I think the fans are like that as well. We all want to be winners and they want to celebrate all week at work and have bragging rights over any Sunderland mates they may have!

 

We've got a few players who may not know too much about the derby, and if they want some advice then I am more than happy to help. I will tell them to just play their normal game and don't get caught up in the atmosphere, because sometimes you can do.

 

But from our perspective, if we play how we can do then I think we might have too much for them. Going forward, ability-wise and with what we've got, we are very strong.

 

Whatever happens, it promises to be a cracker and I will be sat in the stands kicking and heading every ball, wishing I was out there.

Thanks for reading, and I will be blogging again soon!

[Christmas Tree 4844]

March Blog

 

 

What a game it was on Sunday against Sunderland, and it was great to see Shola as the hero yet again.

That's his seventh Tyne-Wear derby goal and I don't know how he does it!

 

He was ill and hadn't trained on Friday, but he still turned up on matchday, came off the bench and what a difference he made.

They feared Shola's presence, and in just under 20 minutes he won a penalty - which Sunderland's keeper saved well from Demba - and then popped up with equaliser. What a way to score though - in injury-time and in front of the Gallowgate End.

 

It was an exciting match, especially for the fans, but we weren't at it in the first half. We were poor.

Sunderland controlled the game for the first 40 minutes, but in the final five minutes of the half we came on strong and didn't want the whistle to blow.

 

The gaffer and JC (John Carver) gave a speech at half-time to rally the lads and get it through to them what the derby game means to this Club.

 

I think you could see from the second half that it worked, and the introduction of Hatem made a huge difference too.

The adrenaline got through everybody, and there was suddenly determination and belief that we could go on and win the game.

It was pretty much one-way traffic in the second half. We were camped in their half, we thoroughly deserved the draw and were unlucky not to win the game because we had the chances.

 

For Sunderland it will feel like a defeat because they were one up and let it go at the end. Our fans will be happiest, whereas theirs will be sick in their chips - it's best for us.

 

Our preparations for the match were slightly different to a normal home game. We met on Sunday morning at Jesmond Dene House Hotel for our pre-match meal, and then headed off to the game on the coach.

 

It was all about us getting together as a team, travelling together and being a unit. It allowed us to soak up the atmosphere, see all the fans outside waiting for us, and realise what a special occasion a game like this is.

 

Even though I'm injured at the moment, I was in the party and was up at 7am doing songs for the iPod for the changing room. It was stuff like Chris Brown, David Guetta - songs to get the boys firing.

 

I got in amongst the changing room, on the bench and got right into the boys, making sure everyone was right up for the game. Hopefully it had an effect and I was more than happy to play any role I could.

 

As for my recovery from my ruptured Achilles, not a lot has changed since my last blog, but it is still going well.

I'm in the gym and swimming, and as I've said before, it's babysteps at the moment. But I've got to keep patient, keep going and listening to what the medical team tell me to do.

 

They've got my best interests at heart and I cannot wait to be back out there playing again. Next time we face Sunderland I want to be fit and out there on the pitch.

 

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Would love to have heard what they said.

[themags 0]

was basically this

 

[Happy Face 29]

Steven Taylor, despite missing half of the campaign thus far, has still made more total and successful headed clearances than anyone at Newcastle United in the Premier League this season.

 

Edited March 15, 2012 by Happy Face

[Ayatollah Hermione 14064]

That's because when he's watching the game, he's heading every ball[/footballcliches]

[JaMoUsE 0]

Ano he has his critics, but you have to wonder where we would be if he hadnt of got injured and williamson come in. willo is championship standard tbh

[Gemmill 46085]

Ano!? Wtf.

[The Fish 10972]

Ano!? Wtf.

 

[JaMoUsE 0]

Sorry, are you not au fait with such a slang term?

[Meenzer 15731]

Sorry, are you not au fait with such a slang term?

 

I think you mean "ofay"

[Andrew 4872]

[JaMoUsE 0]

Sorry, are you not au fait with such a slang term?

 

I think you mean "ofay"

 

[Kid Dynamite 7181]

We have missed him massively since Xmas. Williamson is getting worse by the week. Taylor was a rock the first ten games and took a lot of pressure off midfield along with Colo.

[Baggio 0]

I think he's quite average and I wouldn't have put my house on him keeping up the form he showed in the first dozen games over the whole season.

 

We need a new centre back this summer for sure.

[shear class! 0]

Much better then Perch and Willo TBH, I think he gets a lot of un deserved shit from a lot of people.

[toonarmy108 0]

Im trying to buy his jersey but all the companies in America seem out of extra large i think im too tall and fat lol. I really cant wait till hes back. i think we would be in the top 4 if he never got injured, or maybe im being delusional.

[ADP 0]

We have missed him massively since Xmas. Williamson is getting worse by the week. Taylor was a rock the first ten games and took a lot of pressure off midfield along with Colo.

 

totally agree. Don't know whether i was being blind beforehand, but it was only when the injury occurred and the subsequent leaking of goals that I realised how valuable he is. We need to invest in a young CB in summer though. Someone of Santon's age and potential, who will give Colo and Saylor the shade of a shadow, as much as they work well together.

[toonotl 3116]

Im trying to buy his jersey but all the companies in America seem out of extra large i think im too tall and fat lol. I really cant wait till hes back. i think we would be in the top 4 if he never got injured, or maybe im being delusional.

 

Maybe you're just hungry? Eat something deep fried and have a rethink.

[Kitman 2207]

Im trying to buy his jersey but all the companies in America seem out of extra large i think im too tall and fat lol. I really cant wait till hes back. i think we would be in the top 4 if he never got injured, or maybe im being delusional.

 

Probably the latter. It's just that WIllo makes him look like Franz Beckenbauer

[Christmas Tree 4844]

We have missed him massively since Xmas. Williamson is getting worse by the week. Taylor was a rock the first ten games and took a lot of pressure off midfield along with Colo.

 

totally agree. Don't know whether i was being blind beforehand, but it was only when the injury occurred and the subsequent leaking of goals that I realised how valuable he is. We need to invest in a young CB in summer though. Someone of Santon's age and potential, who will give Colo and Saylor the shade of a shadow, as much as they work well together.

 

All the local journos up here reckon Remi Streete ? will break through into the first team squad this summer and will be heavily involved in pre season.

 

They seem to have very high hopes for him.