Ghana defender Baba Rahman opens up on close retirement decision

Ghanaian defender Baba Rahman of PAOK FC during the UEFA Europa Conference League 2023/24 round of 16 first leg football match between Dinamo Zagreb and PAOK at Toumba Stadium in Thessaloniki, Greece on March 14, 2024. (Photo by Konstantinos Tsakalidis / SOOC / SOOC via AFP) (Photo by KONSTANTINOS TSAKALIDIS/SOOC/AFP via Getty Images)Ghana defender Baba Rahman has opened up about the emotional journey he endured during his time at Chelsea, admitting he came close to retiring from football due to a series of severe injuries.Rahman, who signed for Chelsea in 2015 from Augsburg for an initial 14 million, spent eight years at Stamford Bridge, but only made 23 first-team appearances for the club.His time was marred by multiple loan spells and a series of debilitating injuries. Among these, a second ACL injury in 2019 nearly forced him to retire from football.”I had a tough time with injuries at Chelsea,” Rahman reflects. “I had to fight through so much. When I got that second ACL injury, I thought about quitting. It had taken me 18 months to come back from the first one, and I felt like maybe it was time to walk away.”It was then that Dr. Paco Biosca, Chelsea’s former medical director, played a crucial role in his recovery. Rahman credits Dr. Paco for convincing him not to give up on his career.”I told my family I was quitting,” he recalls. “But Dr Paco told me that he had seen other players come back from such injuries. He promised that if I stayed mentally strong and patient, I could do it too. I slept on it, and then I decided I wanted to fight for my career.”Grateful for the second chance, Rahman continued his career, but despite his efforts, his time at Chelsea didn’t go as planned. He had seven loan spells during his time at the club, never managing to secure a permanent spot in the first team.The 30-year-old is currently enjoying his football for PAOK in Greece. He registeredsix goals and four assists in all competitions last season as his team won the Greek Super League and made it to the quarter-finals of the Uefa Conference League.

In the current campaign, he has already scored five times in 18 outings, form which has attracted interest from Premier League clubs.