In the Netherlands, former Real Madrid winger Royston Drenthe is continuing a far more personal fight than any he faced during his years in European football. A year after suffering a stroke on 17 October, the 38-year-old is recovering at home with his family after leaving hospital several months ago.
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Drenthe has not yet fully recovered from the stroke, but former team-mate Eljero Elia says the ex-Netherlands international is making gradual progress through ongoing therapy and treatment.
Elia described the severity of Drenthe’s condition, saying his left arm remains paralysed and that he has lost the ability to speak. “You would not wish it on anyone,” he said. “He is trapped in his own body.”
Despite those lasting effects, Elia stressed that Drenthe is fighting hard during his rehabilitation. He said the recovery has come in small steps, but that the important point is that progress is being made.
Drenthe, now 38, played for Real Madrid after arriving in Spain as one of Dutch football’s brightest young prospects. His current recovery is taking place away from the stadiums of his former career, surrounded by his family at home.
