Kieran Gibbs, recovered from back surgery, returns to Inter Miami practice eager to play
Kieran Gibbs returned to full training with Inter Miami on Tuesday, finally recovered from a preseason hamstring pull and November surgery for a herniated disc.
Forward Robbie Robinson, who missed the first three games with a hip injury, also was back at practice as the team aims for its first win of the season Saturday on the road at Cincinnati FC. One player who was not on the practice field was Gonzalo Higuain, who trained on his own inside, per a team spokesman.
Inter Miami opened the season with a scoreless tie at home against Chicago Fire, then lost 5-1 on the road to Austin FC and 2-0 to Los Angeles FC at home last Saturday.
Gibbs, the former Arsenal left back, is eager to get onto the field to offer his experience and leadership. His back started bothering him when he joined the team last year, he tried to play through it, but said it was causing more damage to the team, so he decided to undergo surgery the first week of November.
“I’m happy, I feel pain-free, I haven’t played in a long time, so it’s about dusting the cobwebs off,” Gibbs said. “It’s a great feeling to back involved, running around, competing. Just trying to get ready to help the team whenever I can.”
There is no timetable for his return to the game roster, but he hopes it is soon.
Asked how hungry he is to get back into a game, Gibbs said: “Oh, you’ll never understand the feeling of not being able to play and watching your teammates train every day. It’s not fun.
“It’s been hard. Herniated discs aren’t fun to rehab. I’m fully fit. I don’t have pain. I can move around a lot better than before. Obviously, I didn’t play since October, so, of course, it’s going to take a while to get match fit.”
In his free time, he has been exploring Miami’s arts scene and focusing on cryptocurrency, which has become a new passion. He announced a few months ago that he is converting half his salary to bitcoin.
After watching Inter Miami’s first three games, Gibbs feels the team’s most pressing objective should be correcting individual errors.
“I like the way we’ve approached games in terms of the mentality of the team, everyone has been positive, wants to fight for each other, but when you have many new players on a team, it’s not always going to happen overnight,” he said. “We have to continue to jell as a team. But I like how the guys are stepping up and competing.”
He has been impressed with U.S. national team defender DeAndre Yedlin, who joined the team in early February.
“I love his personality, He’s great for the team,” Gibbs said. “He’s got high energy. On the pitch he leads well, speaks to the players individually, speaks to the team. He’s come in as a big character. He’s important for us. Psychologically he’s very strong. He’s played in different countries, has a lot of experience. He’s very vocal. He’s honest. He’ll tell you what he thinks. He doesn’t shy away from confrontation if he needs it, but at the same time he’s a super friendly guy, open to talk to you and helping the young players. I really like him.”