Fulham defender Terence Kongolo has revealed how he struggled to find a club willing to take a risk on him following his struggles at Craven Cottage.
The defender recently sat down for an interview with Algemeen Dagblad to discuss his career so far and the injury issues that have plagued him in the last few years.
He joined Fulham on loan from Huddersfield in January 2020 and made the move permanent later that year but has only ever made four appearances for the club due to injury issues.
They began not long after he joined when he suffered a fractured foot on his debut that saw him miss 18 games and spent 174 days on the treatment table.
That was followed by fitness issues, an ankle injury and Achilles tendon problems before knee surgery in April 2021 saw him spend another 157 days out and miss 14 games for Fulham.
This season has saw him depart the club and join Le Havre on loan in an attempt to regain his fitness and get his career, which has been stalled so significantly, back on track.
That wasn’t an easy task, though, with the defender revealing the vast majority of clubs he spoke to were unwilling to take a risk on him.
“I barely played. 80% of clubs indicated they did not want to take a risk with me,” he told the newspaper.
“I found that very hard to accept. I didn’t feel like it anymore and had no confidence in my future either.
“I am fully fit, but when you have played so little for so long, you need a while to get to your top level. It’s a lot of experiencing and recognising moments again. That is going better and better and I feel I am getting back to my old self.
“I have experienced how important lifestyle is. On the football pitch, I have always given my all, but it is even more important to do the same outside.
“Sleeping on time, eating healthy, taking care of your body. That allowed me to get much more out of it. I want young players to realise that too and not waste their talent like I did.”
