U.S. national team striker Charlie Davies gave his first interview since the deadly car accident he was involved in six weeks ago and revealed that while he is still coping with the psychological impact of the accident, he expects to make a full recovery.
In an interview with ESPN's Jeremy Schaap released on Sunday, Davies stated that his doctors believe he will make a complete recovery and he believes he will be back in time for the 2010 World Cup next June.
"They think I'm going to make a full recovery and the doctors said they'll be looking forward to seeing the World Cup this summer," said Davies, who re-iterated the point when asked if he could be back in time for the World Cup. "By the World Cup."
As for the emotional toll the accident, Davies admitted that he's still coming to grips with the incident, which left another passenger dead.
"That's hard to say," Davies said when asked about what it was like to survive a deadly car crash. "I know I've become a lot more emotional since the accident.
"it's definitely one of those things that really shakes you up and has me thinking at night a lot. My mind will be racing," Davies told ESPN. "It's one of those things that I think eventually I'll get over, but it's definitely a difficult time and it's a time that's made me grow as a person."
Davies is in Delaware undergoing rehabilitation of the numerous injuries he suffered in the accident. He is expected to return to France to complete his rehab at the end of December, with a report by France Football quoting FC Sochaux president Alexandre Lacombe as suggesting that Davies could begin jogging as early as February.
What do you think of this news? Happy to see Davies make his first appearance since the accident? Starting to believe that Davies will be in uniform for the United States come June?
Share your thoughts below.
It looks like ESPN2 is gonna air the (full?) interview on Friday during their World Cup draw coverage.
He’s rehabbing with Jim Hashimoto, former head US Soccer trainer, at his clinic.
Would love to see a full recovery. Hopefully he somehow can have a poistive growth from all this. From the photo, visually he looks different, which is a testament to how hard an impact the car crash was that he survived.
It would be an incredible story if he could make the World Cup!
Great news – if he’s just able to fully practice with the team prior to the WC, can you imagine how inspiring for the rest of the team that’ll be? For any one of them that wouldn’t become 100% focused and ready to fully lay it on the line, they’d need to retire.
I would LOVE to see the whole interview when it does eventually become available. I have to imagine having his wife and friends around is helping with the whole process. How is Gooch progressing?
Lastly, I had never heard about the severity of the injuries to his head. In no reports that I read did anyone mention any cranial bleeding/concussion, which is obviously worse than “just” having facial fractures as well. He still looks way swollen. Were his teeth always like that, too?
Chuck D, you are one lucky, lucky dude to be doing as well as you are. Considering how bad the injuries are, I was almost surprised he doesn’t look like a black Ribery. Get well real soon, CD9!
Good to see him progressing
Well, if he’s back by the World Cup, then Gooch would be too, one would think…
Go get’em Chuck.