Pain-free Gibson hoping to resurrect Everton career

, 25 February, 44comments  |  Jump to most recent

Darron Gibson says he is feeling the best he has felt since he first injured his knee in October 2013 after fearing he may not come back from his long-term layoff.

The Irish international midfielder has taken a long road back to what he hopes will be a full recovery from a ruptured cruciate knee ligament and subsequent surgery that kept him sidelined for almost a year.

An attempt to return to action earlier this season broke down when he felt pain in the knee while on international duty with the Republic of Ireland in the Euro2016 clash with Scotland and he admits that he feared his career might be over at one point.

More patient rehabilitation over the past few weeks, however, has culminated in successive substitute appearances in the Premier League this month and paved a way back to first-team contention.

His introduction against Leicester City on Sunday was particularly encouraging and the 27 year-old has his fingers crossed that his injury problems are now behind him.

“This is the best I've felt since I got injured so, touch wood, that is me back now to where I was,” Gibson told the Liverpool Echo.

“It has been tough for me and there was a stage when I didn't think I was going to come back. Not recently, but I just couldn't get rid of the pain but then suddenly the gym work was paying off and the pain went away. It feels good again.

“It has been frustrating for me over the last 18 months but my knee seems to be back to where it was before I got injured.

The midfielder, a £1m acquisition from Manchester United three years ago, is now looking forward to trying to win back a place in the Everton side, something he says is akin to starting over at Goodison Park.

“In a way you could say it is the start of my Everton career again.

“The lads who have been playing have been doing well so I've got a point to prove when I am playing well.

“At the start of the season when I was coming on, I probably wasn't ready but I feel like I'm ready and fit again.”

 

Reader Comments (44)

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Kevin Elliott
1 Posted 25/02/2015 at 17:10:34
"The lads who have been playing have been doing well ".???
Kevin Rowlands
2 Posted 25/02/2015 at 17:19:06
I won’t hold my breath on this one working out, he’s been injured nearly his whole career, we’ll see.
Mick MacManus
3 Posted 25/02/2015 at 17:20:26
The one advantage of Gibson is that he always has an eye for a forward pass, as evidenced by his performance vs Leicester - something badly needed in our play.
Peter Gorman
4 Posted 25/02/2015 at 17:31:29
I have had a soft spot for Gibson ever since he was so instrumental in that win over Utd at Goodison, I thought we finally had a player who could intelligently dictate a game.

Sadly injuries took their toll and I won't be holding my breath that he can stay fit. Shame as there is some player there.

Jamie Barlow
5 Posted 25/02/2015 at 17:33:32
I can't believe he's only 27.
James Stewart
6 Posted 25/02/2015 at 17:42:04
Feel sorry for Gibson it looks like he is one of those players destined to be injury plagued. His brief cameo at the weekend only highlighted how limited McCathy and Besic are with their passing and creativity. As hard working as they are neither have vision or a playmaker's bone in their bodies.

We desperately need a deep lying playmaker in the Gibson mould. A lot of people have been vocal about how it should be Barkley or Naismith and not both but for me it should be Besic or McCarthy not both. If he's fit Gibson should be starting.

Alan Bodell
7 Posted 25/02/2015 at 17:52:27
The good news is for Darron that he knows with the high number of injuries we seem to get is that the 'Darren Anderton suite' at Finch Farm always has clean sheets awaiting our next casualty due to alarmingly high numbers.
Colin Glassar
8 Posted 25/02/2015 at 18:06:19
I agree with most of the above comments I.e. there is a good player in that weak body. I hope he can remain fit until the end of he season as we certainly need a MF player who can pass the ball to a team mate more than five yards away, and pass forward as well.
John Keating
9 Posted 25/02/2015 at 18:06:11
It was a bit of a surprise on Sunday to see someone in the midfield actually getting their head up and looking to play the forward pass first rather than square or back pass.
To be quite honest, with his injury record, I would like him to sit out the YB game and look at playing him in league games only.
How good would it be to see 442 against YB.
Dave Hall
10 Posted 25/02/2015 at 18:14:25
I thought he looked class in midfield when he came on against Leicester. Incisive, forward passing. Lots of rust to shake off, but he offers a dynamic badly needed to trigger counter-attacks and resist the safe, square pass.
Paul Tran
12 Posted 25/02/2015 at 18:29:32
I really hope he stays fit. He was a breath of fresh air when he came on. Always looking forwards, always looking to spot a forward's run. Our forward players' movement improved as they knew at last there was someone in midfield happy to give them a quick pass. When was the last time we created so many chances?

He'd better play him on Sunday. Arsenal will give us space and he'll exploit it.

Steve Woods
13 Posted 25/02/2015 at 18:54:09
If he hasn't yet done so I really hope that he packs up his International career. To be honest I think that he owes us.
Jonathan Benn
14 Posted 25/02/2015 at 19:50:06
The lad can peel an orange with his big toe. The best passer of a ball at the club by a mile and really has vision too.

Unfortunately, he runs as though he has oranges on both big toes so McCarthy will have to do all of his running with him.

Good luck mate and hope you start tomorrow.

Aidy Dews
15 Posted 25/02/2015 at 19:50:49
Always liked Gibson ever since he signed for us. He's the one player I'd really like to have a turn in fortunes injury wise as he's a cracking player on his day!

For as good as what the likes of McCarthy, Barry and Besic are in their own unique way, none of them poses the passing ability and range that Gibbo does.

With the way we want to play, you have to have a player in midfield that looks forward, wants to turn defence into attack quickly, sees a pass fast and plays it, executes it! It's alright playing from side to side and back, side to side again, trying to pull the opposition all over the pitch to create the spaces to exploit, but you need someone who is going to play a forward pass and stretch teams and Gibson does it.

When you have a player like that in the team, other players start to make forward runs, they look to go beyond the striker, try and get in behind the opposition defence and even make unselfish runs just to create space for others cos they know they have a player on the pitch that will play forward balls, either over the top, into space wide or quickly into the strikers feet to get the team high up the pitch.

It's alright trying to play a possesion based game of football but there as to be a purpose to the play and progression, and Gibson brings that. His first intention is to go forward. He goes for passes our other midfielders would shy from, and more often than not, he makes em!

I'd love him to finally stay fit as he could be a player for us along side McCarthy, but with his record, it's highly unlikely he's over his injury nightmares.

Peter Laing
16 Posted 25/02/2015 at 20:05:52
Gibson was outstanding when he came on as a substitute against Leicester. On numerous occasions he played a dangerous attack minded pass, continually probed and is quite frankly the antidote the the rightly maligned crab like football that has been served up on too many occasions this season.

Gibson deserves a bit of luck after the injury nightmares he has experienced and I'm sure he must be as frustrated as the fans regarding his lack of competitive action.

Ian Riley
17 Posted 25/02/2015 at 19:56:46
Gibson could be the player that saves us! The game on the sunday, players were running around like headless chickens. He came on and changed the game. He wanted the ball and moved forward with purpose and telling other players to get forward. When he is match fit give him the captain's armband.

The team needs leadership from the middle. I know people will laugh because he has never been fit but when fit he is the best midfielder we have. He reads the game and is not afraid to tell players what he thinks.

Colin Williams
18 Posted 25/02/2015 at 20:00:58
Never been good enough- let alone the constant injuries. People just being desperate due to our piss- poor play in the opposition half. What do you expect though, when we constantly play with two holding m/f players, a technically shit c/f.... And also a player who just runs around chasing the ball like a six yr old... The only difference the 6yr old is a better technical player. We need better technical players to play within the opposition half so we can start creating and scoring more goals. Until we change weÂ’re fecked!!! ( not forgetting our shitte g/k!

Bob Hannigan
19 Posted 25/02/2015 at 20:17:42
I thought when he came on vs. Leicester he pushed the side forward.
Phil Walling
20 Posted 25/02/2015 at 20:19:31
The very thought that Gibson can save this... or any season for us shows how desperate we've become. We've been here several times and the guy flatters to deceive. That's why he got sent packing to us in the first place.

Bloody Gibson..... I ask you !

Tony Abrahams
21 Posted 25/02/2015 at 20:15:19
Hope he stays injury free, and can have an impact for us in the next few months. He definitely made a difference on Sunday and should get another hour tomorrow.

Actually enjoyed most of the second half the other day, simply because Gibson made us play more forward. And anyone who can make us do that, might just make the match a bit more enjoyable than it's been these last few months!

Colin Glassar
22 Posted 25/02/2015 at 20:38:45
Could be this teams Kevin Campbell, Phil. You never know. And no, I'm not a big fan.
Ian Jones
23 Posted 25/02/2015 at 20:36:29
Decent player. I for one am really pleased that he came on. For all those that knock him.. just look at how he plays. Give him a chance. He offers more composure on the ball. Uses it wisely..generally. He makes things happen. Other players respond to his passes. He knows where the goal is as well. For how long can he play. Who knows but give him a chance. He is fut at moment. I would like to see him continue at Everton but if he has to move on then just hope he can make a real go of his career.
Tony Cawson
24 Posted 25/02/2015 at 20:43:51
More chance of Howard keeping 5 clean sheets than this fella playing 5 games on the bounce.

Not good enough anyway.

Another for the out door in the summer.

Andy Crooks
25 Posted 25/02/2015 at 20:48:56
I like Gibson and if he can stay fit he offers something different. What surprises me is the fact that the thirty yard thunderbolts that he seemed to specialize in at Old Trafford never happened for us.
Ian Jones
26 Posted 25/02/2015 at 21:04:53
Andy @ 25. Don't you remember the effort against Man City. Possibly his debut. Not sure. Might not have been 30 yards but at least it was a decent strike.
Colin Glassar
27 Posted 25/02/2015 at 21:10:26
Just watching that Moutinho fella playing for Monaco. I wonder if BK's watching (that space)?
Dave Abrahams
28 Posted 25/02/2015 at 21:17:27
Ian (26) I think it was going a few yards wide before it took a deflection!!!!.
Mike Goodwin
29 Posted 25/02/2015 at 21:05:05
Gibson stood out like a sore thumb when he came on against Leicester. Unfortunately for Darron, a sore thumb probably equates to about 3 months on the sidelines!

Joking aside, it was a real shock to the system to see an Everton player dictating play from the back, by actually looking up and making incisive forward passes with accuracy and tempo. We Evertonians have been brainwashed into watching our players stroke the ball sideways, backwards, sideways, backwards – all at snail’s pace ad infinitum and I half expected Martinez to run on the pitch and drag Gibson off, for having the temerity to hit the ball forward. Although they may have other qualities, neither McCarthy or Besic have that range of passing in their locker. To be fair to Barry, he does try occasionally to pick out Lukaku with a long crossfield ball, but he does not possess Gibson’s accuracy or vision.

IÂ’m not saying heÂ’s a world beater, but watching Gibson just makes you realise how poor our normal game is and how weÂ’ve become accustomed to mediocrity.

Gavin Johnson
30 Posted 25/02/2015 at 21:38:35
A useful addition when fit..until the next time he breaks down.
Peter Warren
31 Posted 25/02/2015 at 21:42:54
Disagree Phil he is a v good player. He got sent packing as you had scholes & carrick in their pomp as well as a Man U team regularly trying to win the Champions League. Everton unfortunately have been light years behind for more than 25 years
Ciaran Duff
32 Posted 25/02/2015 at 22:03:42
Can’t agree with Colin(#18) or Phil(#20). No doubt in my mind that he is a really good player. Had a very good spell under Moyes when he stayed fit for a few games in a row. The only question mark is whether he can stay injury free.
Colin Glassar
33 Posted 25/02/2015 at 22:16:03
That's the crux of the problem Ciaran, can he stay fit? I know a few manc fans who rate him very highly but can he play more than 4-5 games in succession?
Bobby Thomas
34 Posted 25/02/2015 at 22:22:19
Hopefully he can get a run of games going and bring some much needed tempo to our pedestrian, predictable and piss poor football.
Dave Southword
35 Posted 25/02/2015 at 22:23:42
Was anyone else wincing when he started sprinting around against Leicester? I had to turn the sound down so I didn't hear his ACL snap.

There's a terrific player in there that is, please forgive me, phenomenally unique in our squad. He can pass and he can shoot from a long way out. That is something we should be looking at a little more when teams come to park the bus against us.

Colin Williams
36 Posted 25/02/2015 at 22:45:43
Ciaran# 32.." Really good player"... When was that? HeÂ’s started around 33 times in THREE YRS! And scored 2 goals!!! ( what the feck) no pace, no mobility for transition,
no goals and no fecking fitness..( this guy plays in c/m) And thatÂ’s just for starters!! Been involved in 18 games for us this season- started 2... Unused sub 10 times.

Normally came off the bench 75 to 83min!( Fecking hell) I would rather have Ossie (and thatÂ’s saying something) I really donÂ’t think our manager has much faith in him with them stats, do you? This is one of the only times I have agreed with our piss- poor, so- called Manager.

Tim Locke
37 Posted 25/02/2015 at 23:09:20
Interesting walk back in memory lane. Wonder if he can still take us forward https://theexecutionersbong.wordpress.com/2012/09/13/darron-gibson-awayday-blue/
Helen Mallon
38 Posted 25/02/2015 at 23:12:52
Phil Walling, please enlighten us as to your team from the squad we have that can bring us creative football. Because your on every thread complaining about the players and the manger. Oh and what manager would do a better job. Please don’t say notes cause he finished 17th in his second season syndrome.
Derek Thomas
39 Posted 25/02/2015 at 23:21:05
Keep working, gob shut, one game at a time, have a bit of luck Re. Injuries, lose the Internationals. sorted
Chris Gould
40 Posted 25/02/2015 at 23:13:20
Colin 36 - you’re being incredibly harsh. He hasn’t been involved much this season for obvious reasons. As he says himself, he was finding his way back to fitness.

You can’t ignore what he did on Sunday. It wasn’t a fluke. He’s a very good player and, if he stays fit, a very important one too. We had a great run under Moyes where we didn’t get beat with Gibson in the team for a fair number of games. He makes the midfield tick... when fit!

Helen Mallon
41 Posted 25/02/2015 at 23:18:51
Here’s a question to all of you. If we played our league games Thursdays and our Euro games Sunday, would we be higher in league and out of Europe?
Mark Andersson
42 Posted 26/02/2015 at 01:59:46
Helen your attempt at humour made me smile IÂ’m sure Bobby would give you great mileage from that question.

Gibson showed on Sunday what we have been missing. Although I noticed he was not being closed down which gave him the time to make his pass.

Ian Jones
43 Posted 26/02/2015 at 08:04:19
Also noticed that Gibson had space but assume its a combination of many things including Leicester retreating the longer the game went on to defend the lead, the potential threat from Gibson who has the ability to distribute the ball all over. Rather than closing him down, opposition are wary of leaving themselves exposed so give him more time. Of course good players always seem to be able to make time and their own space. Always in control
Chris James
44 Posted 26/02/2015 at 00:06:16
A fit Gibson is a massive asset to us, he's a creative, passing midfielder in the Osman role that we've been missing since Leon's legs went.

The key word of course is 'fit' which is something of a rarity.

Karl Masters
46 Posted 26/02/2015 at 23:44:53
It's a fact that we have barely lost a game in which he has started. That alone tells you quite a lot.

Thought that he was one of the best against Young Boys. Good luck, Darron.


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