SPECIAL SECTION: HEALTH & FITNESS
Defender Harry Souttar on returning from tough times
It’ s fair to say Harry Souttar’ s journey to the 2022 World Cup was more emotional than most. The towering defender – at 1.98cm he is the second-tallest Socceroo in history – was not only battling a serious injury, but three months before the tournament began, his eldest brother Aaron died from motor neurone disease.
“ Obviously going into the World Cup, that was massively on my mind – doing it for him,” he says.“ The boss said... when you go out there, think of that one person you’ re doing it for and it was pretty clear.”
But it was uncertain as to whether the Scotland-born Souttar would even make it to that tournament after he injured his ACL the year before.“ At the start, I thought,‘ I’ ve got ages, I’ ll be fine, I’ ll play so many games before,’” he says.
He was back on the pitch after about four months – but had to step off again when the half-healed injury began playing up.
Souttar credits Stoke City FC medical boss Nick Meace and Football Australia physio Kurt Lisle with his recovery.“ In my mind, I was always, always prepared,” he says.
The injury has also altered Souttar’ s attitude towards prehab work.“ When you’ re a younger player and you see older players do it, and they say,‘ When you get older, you’ ll know when you do it,’” he says.“ You’ re thinking,‘ Oh yeah, whatever mate.’”
That’ s all changed now.“ Right now, I do it every time before I do a session or a game,” Souttar says.“ I’ ve always got my exercises that can help me.”
He also has a top three list of musts for anybody focussing on their fitness, particularly after an injury.“ Number one would be sleep, I didn’ t realise how important sleep is for recovery,” he says.
Second on the list is hitting the gym for rehab.“ Getting the body moving and light weights and a lot of leg, extra balance exercises. It doesn’ t have to be long, just 15 – 20 minutes,” he says.
“ And then [ the ] third one, I’ d probably say recovery ice baths have helped me a lot throughout my rehab stage.” >
COSTCO CONNECTION JAN / FEB 2024 | 21