Planet Swans ArchivesDe Vries was stretchered off after less than half an hour of Tuesday’s 0-0 draw with QPR at the Liberty and now must watch from the sidelines as the Swans look to maintain their Championship challenge.
He also revealed that he did not want to come off initially but was overruled by Richie Evans who insisted on the substitution which means Alan Tate going in goal for more than an hour.
Speaking to the Western Mail following his operation, De Vries said “I don’t blame him, things happen in football, I haven’t seen the replay yet and perhaps I can only judge what happened when I do.
“For now, all I remember is that I went for the ball, he went for the ball and he took me out – but that’s the life of a goalkeeper sometimes.
“It happens, everyone wants to fight for the ball, everyone wants to prove themselves so you can’t blame people.
“And, to be fair, he wrote a letter after the game to apologise to me and he also apologised to the gaffer, telling him that he was really sorry for what had happened and that he had gone to play the ball.
“So what else can you do but accept that and just stay positive?
“Like I said, he went for it and I went for it and I was the unlucky one,” said the 27-year-old, who knew only centre-back Alan Tate was available to take his place in goals from the bench. “There wasn’t a lot of pain straight away, apart from a major headache.
“And, to be honest, I wanted to continue because I knew I was the only goalkeeper in the matchday squad and when Richie Evans the physio came over I told him I couldn’t come off because there was no-one on the bench.
“He just told me no way, which I couldn’t understand because all I was feeling was this headache.
“I told Richie that, but he said that wasn’t the problem and that I had broken my cheekbone because he could see the side of my face had dented in. I just said: ‘Well, that’s not good.’
“From there I was in the ambulance pretty quickly and I was lucky because I had great support at the ground and at the hospital.”
And what would his reaction be if he found himself in that situation again? “I would definitely go for it again,” he added. “That’s a goalkeeper’s life, every ball you throw your body and your life into it because that’s what you do, that’s your job.
“It’s the worst injury I’ve had and being in the face it looks more dangerous, but you have to remember it’s – hopefully – only six weeks out and guys who damage cruciate ligaments can be out for nine months.
“I feel OK, if a little tired, and we were discussing protection when we were at the hospital on Tuesday and the possibility of getting a mask done.
“And if I have to wear something like Cech wears so be it because it doesn’t bother me as long as I can do my job, that’s all I want to do and I don’t care how I do it as long as I can.
“But right now I honestly don’t know when that will be.”
