Hearts star Beni Baningime has opened up on his injury hell at Tynecastle Park - admitting that whilst it has been tough at times, Liam Boyce's company in the gym has been his saving grace.
Baningime signed for Hearts from Everton in the summer of 2021 after a stop-start career at Goodison Park, and instantly became a hit at Tynecastle with a Man of the Match award in a 2-1 win over Celtic which was Ange Postecoglou's debut in Scottish football. All seemed well until March, when he limped off in a cruciate ligament injury against Livingston, which ruled him out initially for the best part of nine months.
It has been almost a year now since Beningime has featured in a first-team game for Robbie Neilson's men, with the midfielder raring to go back on the pitch as the Jambos close in on another European adventure. But injury return roads can be tough mentally. And 12 months is a long time away from the pitch, with no guaranteed timescale on a return to action - but Boyce's presence has been a huge help for Baningime in the gym as they both recover from long-term knee injury.
He told the club's official website: “There were times my knee wasn’t functioning but because he was there it was so much easier. He’d be like it’s not the end of the world and shortly after that it switched up. The biggest thing out of this is we’ve gotten really close to be fair.”
And Boyce added: “The first time I did it I was young and you just want to get back playing football. Now I’m a bit older and have experience of going through it. I don’t want anyone else injured but having Beni around as someone that’s always in the gym and always there with you, even if the boys are off.”
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