Ryan Alebiosu shares his two-year knee injury struggle

Super Eagles defender Ryan Alebiosu has shared his experience of being out of football for two years due to a knee issue. He described that time as very hard and depressing, according to PUNCH Sports Extra.

The Blackburn Rovers right-back faced problems with both knees when he was around 15 years old. This situation made it difficult for him to run or walk. Doctors could not find out what was wrong and could not say if he needed surgery.

“They did not know what was going on. I could not run. I could not walk. They did not know if I needed surgery or anything with it because I had pain in both of my knees and they did not know what was causing it. It was non-specific knee pain,” he told the Lancashire Telegraph.

“Obviously, it was kind of depressing having about two years of not playing football because of this knee injury. This was when I was about 15 and went on for a couple of years. I could not play.”

Alebiosu mentioned that the hardest part was watching his friends and peers progress in their careers. He said, “It was frustrating because I was a kid and everyone was progressing and I am just waiting to see when this is going to go. I was always hoping for the best, to be honest.”

As he got older, the pain began to ease, and he regained his speed at around 18 years old. Now at 24, he has played for clubs like Arsenal, Crewe Alexandra, Kilmarnock, Kortrijk, and St Mirren before joining Blackburn in 2025. Since then, he has made 50 appearances for Blackburn.

He made his debut for Nigeria on December 30, 2025, in a 3-1 victory over Uganda during the Africa Cup of Nations, where he played the full match.

At Blackburn, Alebiosu plays as a right-back and also as a right wing-back. He believes that playing regularly has helped him improve.

“Playing week in week out, establishing myself a bit, I feel like there has been a lot of improvement in my game,” he said.

He also mentioned that managing the physical demands of the Championship is still a challenge for him. But he noted that taking time to rest and recover has been very helpful.

“With all the running I do, taking that time off to rest certain parts of my body, certain things that I have been going through body-wise, it has been brilliant,” he said.