“Life knocks you down hard – You need to get up everytime and face it.” – Santi Cazorla is the perfect of examples you need for that.. From career threatening injury to getting called up to represent his country at thirty-four.
Santi Cazorla has been called up by Luis Enrique to Spain squad for the first time in four years.
Santi was forced to undergo eleven operations in time span of two years as he was staring in the eye of never walking on the field again.
Not only eleven operations but also a series of successful antibiotic treatments – which was followed by having skin taken from his forearm and grafted onto the affected area in his leg, risking the idea of losing his leg only to dream about touching his feet on the grass once again – Santi returned to action last summer.
Cazorla revealed how bacteria ate away eight centimetres of his Achilles tendon (Image: BBC)
But after battling his way out and series of impressive performances for Villarreal this season – he is called up by Luis Enrique for Spains’s next month’s Euro 2020 qualifiers with Sweden and the Faroe Islands.
Santi was highly regarded by fans and staff at Arsenal and is still one of the most loveable name for the Gunners faithful, but he had a sorrowful ending to his time in North London after series of achellies problems limiting his final two seasons at Arsenal.
He was out for 2 years due to an injury that required 11 operations and told that there was a chance he could lose his leg.
Since then, he’s guided Villarreal to the Europa League quarter-finals & is now back in the Spanish national team.
Imagine not liking Santi Cazorla. 💛 pic.twitter.com/FCBQrqPNqk
— bet365 (@bet365) May 17, 2019
636 DAYS – Number of days Cazorla was sidelined due to injury…
Well Now, Our Little Lion is back with a bang as we are speaking he is included in Enrique’s 23-man squad – Which will be his first Spain call in four years.
🗓 October 2017:
😢 Santi Cazorla was told he may never play Football again.🗓 January 2019:
⚽️ Santi Cazorla scores a brace against @RealMadrid.📅 May 2019:
🇪🇸 Santi Cazorla is named in the @SEFutbol squad for the first time since 2015.🙌 Anything is possible. pic.twitter.com/NZExrxfUym
— SPORF (@Sporf) May 17, 2019
Full Spain Squad
Goalkeepers: De Gea, Pau Lopez, Kepa
Defenders: Alba, Ramos, Inigo Martinez, Diego Llorente, Hermoso, Carvajal, Gaya
Midfielders: Sergi Roberto, Cazorla, Rodri, Isco, Parejo, Jesus Navas, Fabian, Busquets
Forward: Rodrigo Moreno, Morata, Aspas, Oyarzabal, Asensio
