LONDON, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- The knee injury Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain suffered in the 2018 Champions League semifinal kept him out of the England squad for the 2018 World Cup finals and saw him miss nearly all of last season.
The knee issue added to the injury problems which also saw him miss the 2016 European Championships and 2014 World Cup through injury, but the fit again Liverpool midfielder said not being in Russia helped him rediscover just what football meant to most people.
He explained in an interview in the Guardian newspaper that as a result of not being in Russia, he watched England's 2018 group game against Belgium in a London pub.
"That was the first time I've ever watched a match with fans of my team. I'm either always in the stadium or at home. I've never been to a pub with England fans to see what it means to them and it was surreal. I could see my mates on the screen doing what I usually do and how everyone around them was reacting.
"What it created was special. To see that first hand, in that environment, wasn't what I expected. It was like the whole nation was watching and meant so much to everyone, so it was really special and a reminder of what it means to play for England and how special that is," he said.
Oxlade-Chamberlain has recovered from his injury and is back in the squad for the Euro 2020 qualifying games against Bulgaria and Kosovo, and the midfielder has high hopes that his turn has finally come.
"I think it's written in the stars for me to score the winner at Euro 2020. I guess I have been unlucky with the timings of my injuries but I have been lucky enough to play 32 times for England and looking at the squad now I am one of the longest-serving players."
"The timing of the injuries was unlucky but boys have injuries that stop them playing full stop. I have had the opportunity to come back," he said, content despite his injury setbacks.
"I have enjoyed every minute of my career up until this point because it has shaped me to be who I am both on and off the pitch. By no means am I sat here looking back at what could have been. For now I'm just looking forward," he concluded.
