TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Zachary Herivaux has been playing soccer since he was 5 years old. He says being out on the pitch brings him peace. So, when the game that he loves was taken away from him more than a year, it was one of the most challenging chapters of his life.
“It was very difficult,” Herivaux said. “Not being able to compete with your family on the pitch and having to sit on the sideline for that long, not knowing if you’re going to be able to get back and perform again.”
Herivaux said he felt a tweak in his hamstring in March of last year during training and thought nothing of it. But that tweak continued to linger, and Herivaux was eventually diagnosed with Proximal Hamstring Tendinopathy, a chronic condition that causes inflammation in the tendons at the back of the thigh.
“I couldn’t sit down for eight months. So every time I ate, I ate standing up. Every time I laid down, I laid on my stomach.”
Once he recovered from that, Herivaux then suffered an MCL injury right before the start of the 2024 regular season. 397 days later, he finally made his return to the pitch during the Rowdies’ 1-nil win over Sacramento.
“It was definitely very emotional for me,” Herivaux said. “Just to see all that work and discipline is rewarded at the end of the day. That was a big accomplishment for me. As I grow in my career, little wins like that, I need to learn how to celebrate those and find joy every moment I step onto the pitch.”
“It’s great to have him back,” Rowdies head coach Robbie Nielson said. “It’s quality that he brings. One, he’s a good defender, but he’s also really good on the ball. When we play that 3-5-2 we need guys in the back that can play.”
