Baba Rahman has talked candidly about his difficult time at Chelsea and expressed disappointment that his career there didn’t turn out the way he had hoped.
In 2015, the former left-back for Dreams FC and Asante Kotoko moved to Chelsea from Augsburg, a Bundesliga team.
His tenure at Stamford Bridge was marred by injury and a lack of playing opportunities, despite the encouraging transfer.
After making 23 appearances and scoring twice, Rahman was loaned to a number of teams before settling down with PAOK FC of Greece.
Reflecting on his Chelsea days, the Ghana international told the BBC, “I am sad things didn’t work out at Chelsea. I just had so many bad injuries whilst I was there, and because I wasn’t 100% fit, I wasn’t able to give my absolute best.”
After sustaining a second ACL injury, Rahman also disclosed that he was on the verge of retiring. He attributed this to Chelsea’s former medical director, Dr. Paco Biosca, who encouraged him to keep going.
“I owe them a lot because it was Dr. Paco who convinced me not to retire after my second ACL injury,” Rahman shared.
“It had taken me 18 months to come back, and when the doctor told me I had another ACL injury, I decided I had had enough. I told my family I was quitting.
“But Dr Paco said he had seen other players come back and promised that if I was patient and mentally strong, I could do it too. I slept on it and then decided I wanted to fight for my career.”
Now with PAOK, Rahman is grateful for his second chance in football and the support he received through his toughest moments.
