Rodney Hood Quotes

I just feel like I try to get out of each game healthy.

The return is one of the hardest shots to make when you come back from injury.

I didn't think I was going to play that day. I'd have to thank the training staff for getting me on the field that day. They made a bigger deal than I thought it was.

There's a difference between playing hurt and playing injured.

It's funny because everybody has injuries, and different teams handle them differently.

Little injuries are always happening, so you've just got to train through those. You've also got to have the right training partners, people you trust.

It's always bad news when a player gets injured - dreadful news.

I can't dictate how I play because I'm injured. I've got to go out there and still play.

I mean, every player is hurt every year, so that's not really an excuse for everything.

We've made a lot of strides over the years in making the game better for players to be able to stay healthy and showcase talent.

You never want an injury as you're getting ready for the playoffs.

I have felt in my head that I would like to play, but then you listen to your body and accept it might be better that you do not play every game immediately after an injury.

No matter how badly you play, you want to come out healthy.

I have played with a torn bicep before. I have come back from a torn Achilles before. So I guess it's just in my DNA.

I busted my butt in '15. Then in '16, I broke my arm running into a wall, so then I got scared of running into walls because I didn't want to get hurt again.

You do get injuries in this sport. More than in other sports.

If I have got an injury, I have got an injury. Whenever I want to play for Nigeria, I must be 100 percent, I want to give everything. But if I have got an injury, I don't want to force myself, because I am going to look stupid on the pitch.

I would have liked to have played more but injuries are part and parcel of football and you've got to shoulder it, got to take it on and get on with it.

I think that's one of the things I've learned through my injuries is that I need to play smarter.

For every 100 times you can nail a big move, it's that 101st time where you over-rotate and it can end your career.

I will be the first to say when I know I can't fight due to injury, as my long-term health is my number one priority.

I never have a problem with the weight cut. My number one enemy is injuries because I train so hard.

I never had problems with injuries as a kid or in the youth team. My injuries started at Chelsea, when I broke my foot during a pre-season game. That was just pure bad luck, but after that, I had some muscular injuries, too, so I had to get to know my body better.

My idea is that players need to recover first, train later.

I knew my body could take the battle of everyday training and take the battle of falls and bending in ways that bodies really shouldn't bend.