We caught up with FC Malaga City Under 19s winger Ilham Putra Yuda, who provided an update on his serious ACL injury picked up earlier this season.
The Indonesia-native returned to his home country in February to undergo surgery and begin his recovery process - which he revealed has been successful so far.
“Thankfully my recovery is going as planned and everything is going well,” he said.
“The first month after the surgery was a painful one - but the physio did a great job of helping me through it all.
“It’s been two months since the surgery and I’m starting to spend more time in the gym - trying to re-gain the muscle that I lost.”
Ilham joined the academy at the beginning of last season, and quickly established himself as a key player in Sean Morris’s U19s side.
The winger was signed by CD Estepona in December, and stated how he is more determined to continue his progress once he returns to full fitness.
“My time with FC Malaga City Academy has been memorable,” he continued.
“I was lucky to be able to practice everyday with such quality coaching staff - it’s great to wake up everyday and do what you love doing. “I also felt a big improvement on my game during my time there, and I learned a lot away from the pitch too - living far away from my family and friends.
“My goals for next season is obviously to get back 100% from this injury and to keep improving every day.
“I believe this injury will make me a better player physically and mentally.
“My long term goal will always be playing professional football in Europe - and hopefully next season will bring me closer to that goal.”