Nathan Ake on his first season injuries at Manchester City: “I asked myself at the time, ‘Should I even be in this team anymore? Am I pushing enough to be playing?’ Then when you eventually get over those injuries, you’re also thinking that you have so much to prove…
As a result, you’re doing stuff you normally never do. You play with a weird kind of mentality of, ‘Oh I need to do this. Otherwise, I’m not playing the next game.’ You start to overthink and overdo things. I just didn’t feel like myself.
When my dad passed away, he was there and spoke to me a few times, giving me time off when needed. I’ll always appreciate that. He’s been a big influence, putting so much trust in me. That’s why I do everything to pay him back.
I’d always hear stories when I was younger, when you meet older people and you ask why they aren’t playing anymore, they’d often come back and say, ‘I was going out too much’ or ‘I was drinking, clubbing and I got injured.’ All of these excuses…
Growing up, I always wanted to be a professional footballer. I always wanted to do well and reach the highest level possible. I never wanted to be able to make those excuses.”