Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus released a confession letter, in which he admitted that his spirit "collapsed" when doctors told him he needed to be sidelined for 12 months. Now fully recovered from his injury, he stated that he still has "unfinished business" at Arsenal and will not leave.
The full text of Jesus’ letter is as follows:
A day without football is a terrible day for me. It has been like this since the day I learned to play.
After tearing my anterior cruciate ligament, I went through 300 terrible days in a row. When the doctor told me I needed to be out for 12 months, my world collapsed. Thank God, it was my family who saved me during that time. I think I would have gone crazy without them. In the first few months of recovery, I basically lived on the sofa. Getting down the stairs with crutches every morning—that was my whole world… Treatment, breakfast, treatment, lunch, treatment, nap, treatment.
I would watch Arsenal’s games on TV, and it was the worst feeling in the world for me. Every footballer knows this anxiety. I was completely powerless, just like an ordinary fan. Every time we missed a chance, I would throw a pillow. You just want to help so badly, but you can’t do anything.
I remember that after the doctor told me how serious the injury was, Jorginho was one of the first people to come see me. Every time someone came to our house, my daughter Helena would greet them at the door and say: “Come see my daddy’s ouch!”
She would take their hand and lead them to the "patient". Then she would give my knee a little kiss.
“Better now?”
She doesn’t understand (the injury), but she understands a lot, you know? Every time I need some strength, I think of this scene, and it brings tears to my eyes. She helped me stop focusing only on football and the pain, but to remember life itself.
I also have to thank God for giving me my wife Raiane, because in the hardest days, she proved to be a true partner who shares weal and woe and never leaves. When I couldn’t even get up from the sofa, Raiane would run up and down the house to get ice packs for my knee. In my darkest days, she was a mother, a nurse, and a partner to watch football with me.
I think as footballers, we often ignore real life. Before the injury, I definitely ignored my life. I didn’t become the husband or father I should be. That’s the truth.
This has been the most unreal year of my life. Just when I felt I was back to my best form, I heard a "snap" during the game against Manchester United, and my world collapsed again. But I believe God will not give me a challenge that I cannot grow stronger from. He has given me many blessings to get through this: my wife, my children, my teammates, and Arsenal’s excellent medical team.
People have asked: “Why don’t you just leave? Why not go to Saudi Arabia? Or go back to Brazil?”
One day, I hope everything can come full circle at Palmeiras, but not today.
I feel I still have unfinished business at Arsenal, and I don’t want to leave. When I came here to join Mikel (Arteta), my goal was not just to score goals. My goal was to win trophies. When I came to the Premier League, I think most people’s reaction was: "Oh? Who is this kid?" They saw me as a pure goalscorer. But I don’t see myself that way. My strongest trait is that I will do whatever it takes to help the team win championships. At Manchester City, I played many roles. Sometimes I shared the goalscoring burden with Aguero. Sometimes I played as a winger. Other times I used my physical advantage to link up play. I think that’s why Mikel brought me here all those years ago. I don’t need to always play as a No.9 to help the team.
I didn’t stay here for the weather, did I?
I came here to make history.
I know you don’t pay much attention to Brazilian football in England, but let me give you a short history lesson! When I was called up to Palmeiras’ first team at 18, they hadn’t won the Brazilian league title for 22 years.
We woke up the "sleeping giant" and won the title, and now they keep winning. Sometimes I go back and walk through the club’s corridors, and all I see are trophies, trophies, trophies.
There are photos of past legends, and photos of "new legends".
I think the same can happen at Arsenal. We can wake up the sleeping giant. Since I came to this country, I have been working with Mikel, and I know what he expects of me. It’s the same as what he expects of the chef. Everything, every day.
With this manager and this team, we can do it. I believe in my football. I believe in God’s plan. I know that if I get the chance, I can help the team in the league.
And hey, Helena… now you can finally watch me play for real.
Stop dancing for just a minute!! Put away your toys!! That’s not one of daddy’s friends on TV—that’s finally daddy himself.
Love you all,
Gabriel Jesus
