Road to recovery

Edu: Looking forward after a torrid couple of years

I hope with the new coach we start doing well here at home and that we can be top of the League.

Edu
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Revista de la Liga
Tuesdays, Sky Sports 1

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• Arsenal
• Valencia

Valencia midfielder, Edu told Revista de la Liga about his recovery from his second cruciate knee injury.

The Brazil international has had a torrid time since signing for Valencia from Arsenal in the summer of 2005. He tore the cruciate ligaments in his left knee during pre-season training before he had even played a first team match.

He returned to action at the end of the 2005-06 season but suffered the same injury in November 2006, this time to his right knee.

Despite being down on his luck, Edu was upbeat when Revista caught up with him at the Mestalla Stadium.

"I'm feeling good," said Edu, "I have started training with the guys - training normally and doing all the things with them.

"I just have maybe one week until I can play I hope. I'm feeling good with my knee so we will see when the coach will put me into the team.

"For me it has been a very strange two years because personally when I arrived things were going well, the team was doing well as well and I got my first injury.

"And then I got my second injury - that was a difficult one because next week it will be one year without playing."

Disciplined

Valencia's new coach, Ronald Koeman is renowned for his disciplined managerial style, which he has expressed at the Mestalla already after axing Joaquin and Manuel Fernandez from the team for arriving late to training.

"He hasn't had a lot of time to change things," said Edu, "but you can see how important he is in the dressing room because he wants to win.

"He trains us well and hard to be in the game and win. He has shown us the mentality to win.

"We were losing discipline, to be honest, a couple of months ago and he arrived here and saw that. And he wants to change and the dressing room has to be organised.

"We enjoy his character and his style."

Koeman recently replaced Quique Sanchez Flores who was sacked after a poor start to the season.

"It was a strange feeling here in the Mestalla because the atmosphere here was strange because when we came to play the fans were always shouting 'Quique go home' and he was showing to us he was nervous.

"So at the same time we were feeling the same and for footballers that's not good because we like to play free, but especially at home it was tough - we were not feeling good."

And now with Koeman in charge and Edu eager to get back in the team, does the Brazilian believe that Valencia can get their season back on track?

"I am always thinking of big things but you have to be honest and realistic as well. But we have to fight for the league - Champions League as well. It will be difficult as we are not doing so well in the Champions League.

"But if you see our squad and our players, we have a strong team.

"I think so, I'm an optimist always, everybody is saying we are not doing well but we are still near the top, so imagine if you are doing well at home and away, we would be first in the league.

"I hope with the new coach we start doing well here at home and that we can be top of the league."