The former Leeds United player has had a tough time with injuries.
Tyler Adams confesses he ‘fallen off a cliff’ following an injury-plagued year that included the disappointment of relegation with Leeds United.
Adams missed the final 12 games of the season after undergoing surgery for a major hamstring injury in March. The American stood helpless on the sidelines as Leeds failed to win any of their final nine games, ultimately slipping to the Championship.
Adams was one of several players forced to leave Elland Road due to a release clause in his contract, and the midfielder signed for Bournemouth for £20 million in August. He landed on the south coast injured and underwent surgery again in October, only to return to the bench against Luton Town last week.
“You learn a lot about yourself in those tough moments because there’s no headlines about you,” Adams told reporters ahead of the USMNT’s friendly against Jamaica. “There is no one talking about you anymore.
“All of a sudden you go down a precipice, and you’re sort of irrelevant in that moment. But, to be absolutely honest, I kind of relished it. After such a whirlwind of a season, after the World Cup, after everything, my world kind of flipped upside down for a brief while. And because I was hurt, I only had a few moments to regroup.”
Adams had been one of Leeds’ most dependable players last season, starting all but three Premier League games until his injury. The injury first arose in the build-up to the 4-2 win over Wolves, and the former Whites player stated it happened while attempting to backheel a ball in training.
“Doesn’t really happen that you end up rupturing your hamstring in that way,” he said of the sad incident. “I had surgery about a week later. Eight weeks later, it was injured again when passing the ball, which is unusual. I waited 12 weeks again. Did it again, passed the ball, had another operation, and now we’re here.”
