The darling of Tef supporters is on France Blue Occitania this Wednesday morning. Rhys Healey confided in us exclusively. The Violets striker tells us about his first month of recovery after his rupture of a cruciate ligament in the left knee August 21 against Lorient (2-2). He tells us what he thinks of the start of the TFC season (current 12th in Ligue 1 with 2 wins, 2 draws and 4 losses).
The Englishman (27) talks to us about his life in Toulouse but also about his future. He will be at the end of the contract next June. The top scorer in Ligue 2 last season (20 goals), who scored a goal this season at Troyes, hopes to return to the field in March or April, and reveals that he has already injured his knee.
First, how are you? And how is your rehabilitation going?
It’s going very well. (smile) After that is only the beginning. I’ve only been injured for a month.
We imagine that it’s a tough situation. Can you manage?
Yes, because I’ve already been injured. I know what it’s like to be hurt. There are good days and bad days. So I can rely on this experience. It’s the same extra knee that I injured myself 5 or 6 years ago. So I’m already, in a way, trained to be injured since that first injury. But I won’t skip the steps.
What are your days made up of?
When you’re hurt, it’s another life. I get up, I take care of my baby. I try to take advantage of my daughter. It makes me feel good before going to continue my care because I know it’s going to be hard. And then I go to the club. I find my teammates for breakfast. I make sure to always participate in the life of the group. It’s not easy when you’re injured. And I do my exercises indoors with the club’s doctors. I try to do everything as best I can and stay positive.
When do you hope to find the grounds?
(He blows) It’s hard to say. I hope in March or April. It’s important for me to have a goal in mind. But it must also be realistic. You shouldn’t come back too soon from this kind of injury. You have to be able to come back with confidence. I’m assuming recovery time is eight months, as with other injuries of this type. Afterwards if it lasts less time it will be a bonus. For now, I have to focus on my knee, muscle it. I see the surgeon next week to take stock.
How do you find the start of the season for your team?
As a goalscorer, I have the impression that in Ligue 1 there are few goalscoring opportunities. And I’m frustrated that I can’t help my team. I think we could have won more matches, won more points. But we are a young team. We have no experience in Ligue 1. We have to be positive. We lost a few matches. But I think we are going in the right direction. We wouldn’t be in Ligue 1 if we didn’t believe in ourselves. And we would not have been successful last season. What is good is that no one is afraid. And when you’re not afraid you can go far in football.
Do you expect a fight for the maintenance until the last game?
I think it’s easy to say that because we left points on the way in the last matches. Personally, I think that we will hold our own at the end of the season without any problem. We will even be a few places above. It’s only the start of the season. And the road is still long. In the second half of the season, people forget what happened at the start of the season. We’ll see where we end up.
You will be out of contract in June. Will you still be from Toulouse next season?
Look, these last two seasons, especially last season, have been the most incredible of my career. When I play at the Stadium, I love the atmosphere, I love the fans. I love playing for this team. But it’s a difficult time for me with my injury, and I’m actually coming to the end of my contract. I only have 50% of the answer to give you. I have a family now. This plays on the rest of my career. But at the moment I’m mainly focused on my return to the second half of the season.
Is it a family choice for you?
Yes, it is a family choice. I have been with my girlfriend for ten years. For ten years she has followed me everywhere. We have a child now. It’s not just my decision. It’s partly my decision. We need to talk about it, let her tell me what she thinks. We’ll sit down in a few months and look at the options. But this is a complicated moment. I must already return to competition.
Have you discussed your situation with the club?
Yes we talked about it. We exchanged a lot at the start of the season. I’m happy to be in Toulouse. I think people don’t understand that a professional football career is short. You have to anticipate what can happen. But, at present, I am still here. I am working to heal myself and get back on the pitch.
Long interview to be found this Wednesday evening in 100% Club between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. The next TFC match will be Sunday 3 p.m. with the reception of Montpellier at the Stadium. Match to live from 2:30 p.m. in full on France Blue Occitanie.