Six of the greatest football player comebacks in recent history

There have been some incredible individual football comebacks over the years, be it from injury, personal trauma or sickness. 
 
Betway takes a look at six of the greatest football player comebacks in recent history in stories of great determination and perseverance. Not only did these six players fight of  and recover from huge setbacks, they returned to the field of play at the highest level: 
 

Aaron Ramsey 

 
The Wales international was subjected to an early setback to his career as an Arsenal player. The midfielder suffered a horrific double fracture to his lower right leg (breaking his tibia and fibula) following a collision with Stoke City's Ryan Shawcross in February 2010. 
 
He returned to football later that year and would go onto forging a very successful career with the Gunners, playing a crucial role in all three of the club's FA Cup wins between 2013-17 and winning two Arsenal Player of the Season awards. 
 
Ramsey's success didn't go unnoticed and in 2019 he moved to Serie A champions Juventus. 
 

Peter Cech 

 
The Czech Republic legend wasted little time in making an impact at Chelsea following his move from Rennes in 2004, but two years later his career was almost cut short after sustaining a head injury in a match against Reading when he collided with Stephen Hunt. 
 
Cech underwent surgery for a depressed skull fracture and doctors later revealed the injury nearly cost the goalkeeper his life. 
 
Miraculously, he made a return to football just a few months later -- wearing a rugby style headgear which he'd don until hanging up his gloves in 2019. Cech remained Chelsea's first choice for the next decade before seeing out the final four years of his professional career at London rivals Arsenal. 
 

 

Djibril Cisse

 
The former France international suffered two leg breaks during a professional career which spanned over two decades. 
 
Cisse snapped the tibia and fibula in his left leg while playing for Liverpool against Blackburn Rovers in 2004 and the forward later revealed that he could've lost his leg had it not been for the prompt response from the club's medical team. 
 
He suffered yet another broken leg 18 months later. This time Cisse broke his right leg while international duty for France in a match against China. Despite the two horrific leg breaks, Cisse made a full recovery and would play at the highest level up until last year. 
 

Henrik Larsson 

 
Before establishing himself as a cult hero at Celtic Park and achieving considerable success with Barcelona and later winning the English Premier League at Manchester United, Larsson had to overcome a gruesome leg break.

The Swedish legend suffered a career-threatening injury, breaking his leg in two places, in a challenge with Serge Blanc while playing for Celtic against Lyon in October 1999.

He spent eight months on the sidelines before making a return. Larsson scored an incredible 53 goals for Celtic the next season and would score between 35-44 goals a season for the next three campaigns before a move to Barcelona where he won two LaLiga titles and the 2005-06 UEFA Champions League. 
 

Jonás Gutiérrez

 
A tumor was detected in the former Argentina international's testicle in October 2013 and he eventually underwent surgery in his home country two months later.

Upon his recovery, Gutiérrez joined Norwich City on-loan before making a return to the Magpies' matchday squad for the first time since his surgery in February 2015. He made his return to field for the club against Manchester United the next month and would complete his comeback with a heroic performance on the final day of the 2014-15 season as Newcastle avoided relegation.

He set up the first and scored his club's second in a 2-0 win over West Ham United and despite never playing for the club again, the 36-year-old still plays professionally in his native Argentina.
 

Eric Abidal

 
In March 2011 Barcelona announced that Abidal had been diagnosed with a tumour in his liver. He underwent surgery within two days and remarkably made a full recovery that same season before playing the full 90 minutes in the club's UEFA Champions League final win over Manchester United at the end of May. 
 
Abidal had to undergo a liver transplant in April 2012 and despite the setback, the former France international made a full recovery once more. He'd go onto making a return to Monaco before ending his career with Olympiacos in 2014. 
 
He currently serves as Barcelona's sporting director. 
 

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