Talented young defender Daniel Wilmering will miss the rest of the Hyundai A-League season after suffering a devastating knee injury at training on Tuesday.
Talented young defender Daniel Wilmering will miss the rest of the Hyundai A-League season after suffering a devastating knee injury at training on Tuesday.
Scans yesterday confirmed he tore his ACL and also strained his MCL and PCL.
It is a terrible blow for the club and Wilmering, who was having his break out season with the Wanderers.
But, while disappointed, Wanderers Academy product Wilmering, who celebrates his 19th birthday tomorrow, was putting on a brave face.
“It’s disappointing, but that is football. This will only make make me stronger as a person and a player,” said Wilmering.
“I can take some good things away from my first season in the senior squad. I got to play more games than I had anticipated, so that is a real positive.
“My team mates, especially (captain) Mitch Duke, have been fantastic and given me a lot of encouragement since they found out the news.
“Now, I just want to get over the operation, which will be early next year, and start working on my rehabilitation.”
After playing against Leeds United in a friendly in July, the left-back impressed enough to earn a scholarship and promotion to the senior Hyundai A-League squad.
A series of impressive performances in pre-season earned him a bench spot in the opening A-League game of the season against Central Coast Mariners at Bankwest Stadium.
And injury to Tarek Elrich saw him come on as a replacement after just 15 minutes and he went on to hold his first-team spot for the next seven games.
Wilmering is a local product and has been a Wanderers fan since the club first came into the national competition. He was a ball boy at the Red & Black’s first game in the A-League.
