Cudicini vows to play again

Cudicini: Comeback hope

Carlo Cudicini is convinced he can make a full recovery from his horrific motorbike accident but has admitted it will be the biggest mental challenge of his life.

"As a sportsman you set yourself goals and targets and my aim is definitely to be back playing."
Carlo Cudicini. Quotes of the week

The Tottenham goalkeeper suffered two broken wrists and a pelvic injury after he collided with a Ford Fiesta while on his BMW motorcycle en route to Spurs' training ground in November.

The 36-year-old was airlifted to hospital and required emergency surgery to save his career and now has a plate in his right arm and walks with the aid of crutches.

But the former Chelsea shot-stopper is determined to return to action at White Hart Lane but has no idea when a first-team return could materialise.

"In my mind I knew I could come back," Cudicini told The Sun.

"I spoke with the surgeon and he said 'Yes, it is a bad injury but we will see'. But as long as they don't say 'Sorry, you are finished' then you always have hope.

"As a sportsman you set yourself goals and targets and my aim is definitely to be back playing - all my energies are centred on going back to what I was doing. I just don't know when."

Mental challenge

But the Italian stalwart admits the coming months will be the most difficult challenge of his life.

He said: "Yes, this is definitely the worst thing that has ever happened to me so it will obviously be the toughest task I have ever had to face, especially mentally.

"I think I am mentally strong. But even so there were times in hospital when I got low and thought 'This is bad, this is going to take some time, I'm not 25 any more... '

"You have these kind of thoughts, those doubts definitely. You are human.

"But at the same time I realised straight away I was lucky to be there at all. And it certainly makes you understand a lot of things, like how really lucky you are - you are a footballer, you are doing what you like, earning a lot of money.

"But also, when something like this happens, you realise you are just like normal people and how bad this could have been and still could be."