Dembele admits past injuries were because he did not work hard enough

In a fascinating interview with Sport and Mundo this week, Barcelona’s Ousmane Dembele talked about his past injuries at the club. The Frenchman spoke about the lack of effort in his past and how it impacted his injury history.

“The injuries came because, when I was 20, I didn’t work as hard as I do now.”

“If you want to be a great player, you have to work. Your talent is not enough. I didn’t know that before, but now I see that it’s essential to work on and off the pitch.”

“It’s clear that if you don’t work you can’t enjoy football, you’re not going to play much and you’re going to get injured. Now, I’m stronger.”

Dembele | Source

It's probably fair to say most people don’t work as hard in their early 20s as they should, so one could hardly blame Dembele. However, it’s really nice to see some perspective and self-awareness from Dembele.