Saturday’s jubilant scenes were even more special for one individual: Özkan Yildirim. The 23-year-old celebrated his return from injury after nearly a year on the sidelines – and it happened to be in the most important game of the season. The midfielder finally took to the pitch for a Bundesliga match after 391 days out.
After a lengthy spell on the sidelines with a groin injury, Ötzi returned to the starting line-up for the game against HSV in April 2015 but suffered a lateral meniscus tear and was ruled out of action again. Werder’s talented midfielder underwent an operation and started the fight-back from the problems with his knee. After a long rehabilitation period, he scored two goals in four competitive games for the U23s in April, most recently in the 1-0 victory against Stuttgarter Kickers, and made a significant contribution to help the reserves avoid relegation. The reward: Viktor Skripnik included Yildirim in the squad for the last Bundesliga game against Eintracht Frankfurt.
The manager brought him on in place of Levin Öztunali in the 77th minute. Yildirim was grateful and offered plenty in attack in the closing stages. He almost scored a goal but Frankfurt keeper Lukas Hradecky parried the ball out of play for a corner.
Yildirim thanked the fans for their faith and support on his official Facebook page. “It was not an easy time for me but I’ve once again managed to fight my way back. It was great to be involved in the most important game of the season and to support the team,” he posted.
