The Swansea City goalkeeper found himself stretchered off after less than half an hour of the 0-0 draw against QPR earlier this season after a strong challenge from Martin Rowlands.
And despite battling his way back to some excellent form this season, that moment remains at the front of his mind as he prepares to go into battle against Rangers at Loftus Road tonight.
Speaking to the Western Mail ahead of the game, De Vries said “We’ve really got something to settle with QPR
“In the home game we had so much possession and were so much in control, but we could only draw 0-0.
“They were a bit lucky, too, with a clearance off the line.
“That should be enough motivation for us, especially after losing at home to Crystal Palace on the weekend.
“There’s no unfinished business at all as far as I’m concerned,” insisted de Vries.
“It was a freak incident and it’s in the past.
“I’m just lucky that I recovered so well and so quickly from it.
“I want six points,” he said.
“We’ve got to get the points back we lost against Palace.
“We showed last season and this season that we have the mental strength to bounce back after a defeat.
“They are two hard away fixtures, but we’re looking forward to the challenge.
“We take it game by game but a win at Loftus Road will change the whole perspective again.
“We should just get out there and be Swansea City – play our football and attack teams.
“We like to be in pole position and dominate teams, but we have to keep going and start digging out results if we have to.
“We’ve got to be smart, focused, lethal in front of goal and strong at the back.
“There’s a big prize at the end, so we’ve all got to stick together for the last eight games, including the supporters.
“We’re going for it, it’s as simple as that.”
You can read the full comments from De Vries along with other build up to the QPR game by visiting the Wales Online website at http://www.walesonline.co.uk/footballnation/swansea-city-fc/2009/03/17/de-vries-ready-for-swansea-to-take-rangers-revenge-91466-23158666/
This article first appeared on JACKARMY.net.