Ghana defender Baba Rahman has shared the emotional struggles he faced during his time at Chelsea, revealing that a series of severe injuries nearly led him to retire from football.
Rahman joined Chelsea in 2015 from Augsburg for an initial £14 million, but his eight-year tenure at Stamford Bridge was largely hindered by injuries, limiting him to just 23 first-team appearances. His career at Chelsea was also marked by multiple loan spells, with a second ACL injury in 2019 pushing him to the brink of retirement.
“I had a tough time with injuries at Chelsea,” Rahman said. “I had to fight through so much. After the second ACL injury, I seriously considered quitting. It took me 18 months to recover from the first one, and I felt like maybe it was time to walk away.”
It was during this dark period that Dr. Paco Biosca, Chelsea’s former medical director, played a pivotal role in his recovery. Rahman credits Dr. Paco for helping him overcome his doubts and continue his career.
“I told my family I was done,” Rahman recalled. “But Dr. Paco told me he’d seen other players bounce back from such injuries. He promised that if I stayed mentally strong and patient, I could do it too. After sleeping on it, I decided to fight for my career.”
Grateful for the second chance, Rahman pushed forward, though his time at Chelsea never lived up to expectations. He spent much of his time on loan, never securing a permanent place in the first team.
Now 30, Rahman is thriving at PAOK in Greece, where he enjoyed a standout season last year, contributing six goals and four assists as the team won the Greek Super League and reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Conference League.
This season, he has already scored five goals in 18 appearances, with his form drawing attention from Premier League clubs.
