Santi Cazorla praises Arsene Wenger after Arsenal boss gave him peace of mind with final contract
Ex-Gunners midfielder reveals how Frenchman helped him through injury nightmare which threatened his career on the pitch
SANTI CAZORLA has revealed how Arsene Wenger supported him with a final contract while he suffered nightmare injury set backs.
The Spaniard feared crocks would end his career early.
The 33-year-old suffered injury complications during his last few seasons at Arsenal and was forced to undergo numerous surgeries.
But Cazorla says Frenchman Wenger gave him the chance to renew his contract in the 2016-17 season.
Wenger was well aware that his midfielder would be out for a lengthy period of time but wanted to offer him the security.
Carola said: "Arsene always supported me. He renewed my contract before the first operation, which was an incredible gesture.
"He called me in and said: ‘Santi, I’m going to give you the optional year. It’s here, sign it, have your operation with peace of mind.’ That helped me focus on my rehabilitation without fear. I’m eternally grateful for that."
Cazorla spoke about his traumatic operations he underwent in an interview with The Guardian.
During the 2016-17 season, he was a key playmaker for Arsenal, making 11 appearances and scoring twice until injury cut short his campaign in October.
He injured his right Achilles tendon during a Champions League match against Ludogorets Razgrad.
Cazorla sustained the injury from a challenge while providing an assist for a Mesut Ozil goal in the 6–0 victory.
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While normal rehabilitation did not prove effective, in December it was confirmed that he would require surgery.
He revealed: "Half-times killed me, because it got cold, I’d be crippled at the start of the second half and the pain got worse and worse. That night, I cried; it had become too much. I had to stop. Then the problems started.
"I picked it up in the operating theatre and then there was the fact that the wound was open. I’d work on the bike and a couple of stitches would come out.
"Because it was an open wound, bacteria can enter, so another bug gets in. At night, a yellow liquid would come out. Every time they sewed me up, it split again; more liquid.
"They did a skin graft but they didn’t see what was inside – the bacteria eating away, eating away. They never found out which bacteria it was."
Cazorla went through eight operations on the ankle problem - which was originally damaged playing for Spain in 2013 - and contracted gangrene with the infection "eating" part of the tendon.
It had been feared that he could be unable to walk again or could even LOSE the affected leg. The condition required antibiotic treatment and a skin graft.
Cazorla temporarily relocated to Salamanca to complete a further recovery programme.
He added: "They'd said to me: 'Don’t worry about playing football, concentrate on regaining a normal life, being able to play with your son or go for a stroll.’
"But I didn’t attach too much importance to that because by then I’d already decided to come to Spain, where they told me completely different things."
The Spanish international has now defeated all odds and is back on the pitch after returning to Villarreal last month.