RB Leipzig's Benjamin Henrichs shares injury recovery process in revealing YouTube documentary
From the shock of his initial injury diagnosis to the determination to return to the pitch as quickly as possible, Benjamin Henrichs offers a fly-on-the-wall view of one player's battle to get back on his feet and playing again in an intriguing YouTube series.
"You really see how fast things can change in football. From playing in a home Euros to an Achilles tendon rupture. I think this is the hardest year I've been through in football because I've never been injured for this long." - so said Henrichs after the RB Leipzig and Germany full-back suffered a devastating Achilles tendon rupture in the last game before the Bundesliga winter break in December 2024.
In a remarkable documentary from Leipzig - 'Faith Over Fear' - fans get to see the process Henrichs goes through as he first deals with the shock of the severity of his injury to the recovery process he must undertake in order to recover.
Collapsing to the turf in Leipzig's away game against Bayern Munich on 20 December last year, the 28-year-old falls first into a state of shock and then intense upset as he begins to realise something is very out of place.
Watch: Faith Over Fear, episode 1
"I actually had a really good feeling before the game that we could win," Leipzig's No. 39 explained. "Then, in the 91st minute, it happened in a situation you wouldn't even think anything could happen. I was running backwards, then wanted to push forward and attack [Bayern's Raphaël] Guerreiro, who was on the ball. Then I heard this really loud pop in my right calf. I've never felt pain like that; I've never heard that kind of pop before. I immediately started crying from the pain and the shock."
Standing in close proximity, Bayern's Joshua Kimmich, a former Leipzig player and Henrichs' teammate in the Germany international set-up, noted, "When I saw Benny, I thought 'this isn't just a minor muscle tear or something, this is serious.'" Leipzig's team doctor, Percy Marshall, agreed. "When you see an athlete crying on the pitch, they don't do that for no reason. They do it because they know it's a serious injury," the club medic explained.
Watch: Faith Over Fear, episode 2
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And so it came to pass. As we learn in the documentary, Henrichs is told he could face up to eight months out of first-team action, with a gruelling process of rehabilitation on the cards. "I've been playing football since I was four years old; I'm 27 now," Henrichs explains. "I've never been injured, never torn anything; had no [previous] surgery; never out for a long time. And then hearing something like that: it's a shock and it hurts like hell."
A winner of 19 caps with Germany, the talented and versatile wide defender signed for Leipzig from AS Monaco - initially on loan - in 2020. Twice a winner of the DFB Cup with his current club, the Bocholt native also won DFL Supercup honours with the Saxony-based side as an integral member of Die Roten Bullen. His absence delivered a blow to Marco Rose's team, but with an attitude of gratitude and determination, the 2016 Fritz Walter Medal winner would soon begin to see what was a major setback to something that worked in his favour.
Watch: Faith Over Fear, episode 3
"I thought, 'do I fall into a depression, or do I embrace it?'" the ex-Bayer Leverkusen player recalls. "Patience is not my strength, but now it's essential. I told myself in rehab a win is a win and even small victories should be celebrated because they bring you one step closer to a normal life - and to your comeback."
Slowly but surely and with the help of family, friends and teammates, Henrichs put in the effort day after day while also receiving encouragement from supporters. "What I really didn't expect were the messages from fans, from people I don't know, people I've never seen before," Henrichs says. "I received so much support."
Leipzig attacker, Xavi - who was also laid low with an injury this season - offered further encouragement to hie teammate, saying, "I think this is going to make [Benjamin] even stronger when he gets back [because of] the hunger and the motivation to wake up everyday and to feel blessed to be able to play football again."
For the man in question, the burning desire to return is what will get him over the line in terms of overcoming an injury that attacks not just the body, but also the mind. "I'm training really hard to come back as quickly as possible, on the one hand because I miss football so much, and on the other, because I miss the interaction with the guys."
Watch Benjamin Henrichs, Faith Over Fear on YouTube now!
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