Sergio Rico's wife Alba Silva has revealed the Spanish goalkeeper has shown improvement and is now "communicating" as he continues his recovery following an accident involving a horse.
The Paris Saint-Germain keeper, who had a spell in England with Fulham, was taken to intensive care following the incident in May. At the time, the 29-year-old was said to be in "a serious condition," with his family later issuing further updates.
Rico spent time in a coma as he was treated following his injuries. However, following the announcement that her husband had come out of a coma, Silva has provided further news on the Seville-born star.
“Sergio is communicating“, Silva told L’Equipe (via Get French Football News ). “He calls us by our names and he perfectly knows who we are, his memory is working great.
“We’ll need to wait for him to really express himself. We’re just trying, for now, to make him feel good and at ease.“
Earlier this month, Silva had spoken to Spanish media about her husband's progress. “[He’s] taking small steps forward and the truth is that we already see the light a little more,” she told Telecinco (via the Evening Standard ) in mid-June.
Rico began his career with hometown club Sevilla, making more than 100 appearances for the La Liga side. He was part of the squad which won the Europa League in both 2015 and 2016, starting the final against Dnipro and sitting on the bench for the victory over Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool.
He joined Fulham on loan for the 2018-19 season, playing 29 games in the Premier League but failing to prevent the London side suffering relegation. Rico then moved to PSG - first on loan and then permanently, and also spent time on loan at Mallorca in 2022.
Rico also has one senior cap for Spain, though he has also been on the bench for a number of matches. He made his one appearance for his national team back in 2016, during a victory over South Korea.
PSG's players had previously showed their support for Rico ahead of their meeting with Clermont on the final day of the Ligue 1 season. Sergio Ramos dedicated his goal to his compatriot, while Kylian Mbappe - their other scorer in the 3-2 defeat - held up a shirt bearing the goalkeeper's name and number.
The club also cancelled a gala dinner, initially scheduled for May 30, following Rico's accident a few days earlier. "The entire Paris Saint-Germain family is deeply affected by the tragedy affecting Sergio Rico and his loved ones," president Nasser Al-Khelaifi said at the time. "On behalf of all the Club's teams, I want to assure them of our full support and heartfelt sympathy during this ordeal."
