West Ham United midfielder Mohammed Kudus has revealed that his first major injury at Ajax, sustained during his Champions League debut against Liverpool, was the most significant setback of his career.
Kudus, who joined Ajax from FC Nordsjaelland in 2020, had a promising start at the Dutch club. However, his debut Champions League appearance against Liverpool was cut short after just minutes when he suffered a meniscus tear, sidelining him for three months.
Speaking to Rising Ballers, Kudus described the injury as a “big blow” and his “biggest career setback.” He explained, “I had just joined Ajax, and I was playing well. It was my debut in the Champions League against Liverpool, ten minutes into the game I tore my meniscus and I was out for 3-4 months. This was a big blow. It was one of the things I had been working towards my whole life, then getting hit like this was hard.”
Despite the setback, Kudus managed to regain his form and eventually faced Liverpool again in the Champions League, this time scoring against them at Anfield. He reflected, “When I returned, I played in the Champions League and played against Liverpool again and scored. It brought back memories of all the hard work paying off was nice.”
During his three years at Ajax, Kudus made 87 appearances, scoring 27 goals and providing 12 assists.
