Kieran Gibbs has shared what one Inter Miami player has done recently that has really impressed the former Herons defender.
The Florida franchise have won their last two games since Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez’s departure for the Copa America, with Inter Miami beating the Philadelphia Union in convincing fashion as well as MLS Cup holders the Columbus Crew.
With Inter Miami also missing a number of players through injury, Tata Martino’s side have excelled already in their expectations this summer with Messi and Suarez away on international duty, with the Herons still top of the Supporters’ Shield standings.
And Gibbs has shared his delight at how one player performed against the Crew last week.
Gibbs in awe after Ian Fray’s Inter Miami return vs Columbus Crew
Speaking on the Inter Miami Weekly Show, the former England international was full of praise for Ian Fray, with the 21-year-old defender scoring ten minutes into his comeback appearance for Inter Miami against the Crew, having spent a year out injured with another ACL injury.
Gibbs said on Fray’s return to Inter Miami action: “It’s really hard to put into words how delighted I am for him. You can’t imagine how difficult it is for him to do that. I had an injury setback when I was his age where I was out for a year, and when I came back, it took me a while to get my rhythm back.
“But the thought of doing that three times is unimaginable, he’s a person who when I first met at the club I was really impressed by, I felt like his ceiling was so high in terms of physically but also mentally, and I can tell how much he wanted to have a career in the game.
“And to see him with the setbacks, to see him every day in training for almost two years, mostly on the bike watching the boys from inside the gym, that’s hard to do for a few weeks, let alone three years. He deserves all the credit that he gets, I can tell just from speaking with him after his first and second ACL injuries that he was always going to come back no matter what, there was nothing stopping this guy.”
Fray will want to play a big role for the Herons this season
Having suffered three major knee injuries already in his short career, Fray’s return last week for Inter Miami which resulted in the defender scoring only his second ever professional goal was nothing short of magical.
And heading into the second half of the season, Fray will want to play a big role for Inter Miami in their quest to reclaim Leagues Cup as well as win the domestic double of MLS Cup and the Supporters’ Shield.
Indeed, Fray showed against the Crew just how exciting a talent he can be when fully fit, and having recovered from a third ACL injury, the defender could now be in the clear to get his career back on track with the Herons as a regular starter.