Keith Andrews during his treatment at Aspetar.
DOHA: Irish football player Keith Andrews has undergone intense rehabilitation in Aspetar, Qatar’s orthopaedic and sports medicine hospital, recently. The treatment followed an Achilles injury the footballer suffered in February.
Keith Andrews, a midfielder for Bolton Wanderers and the Republic of Ireland national team, had visited the hospital for three weeks and will return for another three-week programme at the end of the month.
On his first visit to Qatar, the athlete commented: “I have to admit the whole Aspetar team has been wonderful, the nurses, the sports physicians, physiotherapists, player liaisons, radiologists, everyone. I’ve been treated very well; I am very impressed by the amount of talent that is here.”
“Vince Grella, the former Australian professional footballer, recommended Aspetar. I also have some friends working with Manchester City FC who suggested I receive treatment here. The hospital has a great reputation in the sports medicine industry,” added the player.
Despite remaining relatively injury free during his career, Andrews has been plagued by an Achilles injury over the last few months. Following treatment at Aspetar, he hopes to quickly return to the game. “My priority now is to get fit and as strong as I can to be ready for the next season. Hopefully I’ll be back on the field again soon,” he stated.
Andrews hopes to return in the near future. He said: “I find the Qatari culture fascinating and from the minute I stepped off the plane, I was in awe. I hope to some day return to Qatar, not as a patient but as a player for one of Qatar’s exceptional teams.”
Aspetar is the world’s leading specialised orthopaedic and sports medicine hospital and the first in the Middle East. Based in Doha, Qatar, since 2007, the hospital provides medical treatment to all athletes in a state-of-the art facility. In 2009, Aspetar was officially accredited as a Fifa Medical Centre of Excellence.
The Peninsula
