Socceroos Head Coach Ange Postecoglou has conveyed his empathy for injured Socceroo Rhys Williams as the defender begins his rehab from a torn Achilles tendon.
Socceroos Head Coach Ange Postecoglou has conveyed his empathy for injured Socceroo Rhys Williams as the defender begins his rehab from a torn Achilles tendon.
After being notified that Williams had become the second player within the space of three weeks to have his World Cup dream dashed following the prognosis that Robbie Kruse had a ruptured ACL, Postecoglou expressed his sympathy to his latest troop to be struck down.
“It-s terrible news for Rhys and I feel for him at the moment,” Postecoglou said.
Postecoglou-s sentiments for Williams, who was stretchered off the field while in action for Middlesbrough, come with a double layer of disappointment. On a personal note, there is the fact that Postecoglou will no longer have the 25 year old at his disposal as a key defensive option for Brazil, but more so it is the knowledge that it injury has cruelly denied Williams a possible World Cup berth for the second time.
“As with Robbie-s injury I-m more concerned about Rhys because it looks like he has also been denied the opportunity to play at the World Cup through injury for the second time after also missing the 2010 World Cup,” Postecoglou said from Holland.
“Rhys did well during the November camp and match against Costa Rica in Sydney and he was playing some good football for Middlesbrough ahead of the build up to the World Cup only for this to happen.”
While this latest setback will be a bitterly tough pill for Williams to swallow, Postecoglou reinforced that there is light at the end of the tunnel for Williams, particularly with a possible eye towards next year-s Asian Cup.
“Rhys is young enough and strong enough to recover and he has our thoughts and support at this time and throughout his rehab to ensure he gets back to the form that saw him looking forward to a World Cup,” Postecoglou said.
“The Asian Cup is also a year away and that gives him something to look forward to.”
Rhys Williams played junior football for ECU Joondalup in Perth. Have you registered to play football this season? Register today www.myfootballclub.com.au