I owe Chelsea everything after injury nightmare - I'm sad things didn't work out for me

Former Chelsea defender Baba Rahman says he owes a lot to a key figure at Stamford Bridge after eight years at the club. The wing-back signed a five-year deal with Jose Mourinho's side for an undisclosed fee after impressing with German outfit FC Augsburg.

The Ghanaian made 23 appearances during the 2015-16 campaign but never truly made his mark. Injuries plagued his Stamford Bridge career, spending time on loan with Schalke 04, Reims, Mallorca, PAOK and Reading before leaving Chelsea in 2023.

"I am sad things didn't work out at Chelsea," he told BBC Sport. "I just had so many bad injuries whilst I was there, and because I wasn't 100% fit I wasn't able to give my absolute best."

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Rahman rubbed shoulders with some big names at Chelsea, including the likes of Eden Hazard and was on the Blues' books for their Champions League triumph in 2021, but spent that season on loan with Championship side Reading. He cites he Belgian as an "incredible" player but there was another key figure behind the scenes who he owes a lot too.

"I owe them a lot because it was Dr Paco [Biosca, ex-Chelsea medical director] who convinced me not to retire after my second ACL injury," Rahman said as he reflects back on that injury in 2019, which came close to ending his career having only returned from a serious knee injury the season prior.

"It had taken me 18 months to come back and when the doctor told me I had another ACL injury I decided that I had had enough," he recalls. I told my family I was quitting.

"But Dr Paco said that he had seen other players come back and promised that if I was patient and mentally strong that I could do it too. I slept on it and then decided I wanted to fight for my career. I am grateful that football has given me a second chance. I'm just trying to enjoy it to last moment."