Injury can lead to the darkest moments of a footballer’s life.
It’s not just a hobby. It’s an escape, a lifestyle, a passionate love affair.
When André Gomes stepped out onto the pitch in November to play Tottenham Hotspur , he wouldn’t have believed you if you said it would be his last game for months.
To be restricted from taking part is a chastening and disheartening experience.
With a mountain to climb, and no magic remedy except hard graft, it can leave you feeling lonely, disconnected and desperately searching for motivation every day.
Humanitarian organization Football for a New Tomorrow (FANT) understand the struggle.
In a new campaign, an amputee football team from Sierra Leone, Africa, they have delivered a heartfelt message of support to some of the football superstars who have been side-lined this season due to severe injury, Gomes included.
Those featured in the video campaign are victims of the bloody civil war that tore Sierra Leone for decades.
But now they find a passion in common – football.
They play for amputee football club The Flying Stars, based in Freetown, and it's that shared love for the game that keeps their spirit high, despite their injuries.
The initiative aims to inspire those on the sidelines and to give them the strength to carry on, demonstrating that if the group of depicted amputees playing football can do it, then anyone can.
Both Gomes and Everton FC took to Instagram to thank those involved for the perspective-changing video.
.png?w=600)
