In Corey Gameiro’s locker at Melbourne City’s training base there is a picture pinned to the wall.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
It’s the work of an eight-year old girl named Eva.
The young fan had walked out hand-in-hand with Gameiro the night he suffered a second season-ending ACL in a little over a year.
Two months on, she is helping inspire the Port Kembla junior on his road to recovery.
“To read that after doing five hours in a gym and walking into my locker and seeing that there, it motivates me to keep going to make sure I do come back bigger and better,” Gameiro said.
Eva’s letter is just the tip of the iceberg in a chorus of support Gameiro has received.
“I want to really thank everyone for mentally helping me understand how many people have gone through this and how much support I have had from random people,” Gameiro said.
“People have sent me nice letters and reached out to me on social media just to say how they feel for me and can’t wait for me to get back.”
The long road back in one Gameiro is now more than used to walking.
The soon-to-be 23-year-old succumbed to the same injury in 2014 while on duty with the Olyroos in China, but feels he will return stronger this time around.
“I feel excellent,” Gameiro said.
“Unfortunately I do have a time where I can compare it to. Most people really wouldn’t want to do it twice but I do have that, so to compare that not to where I was, I can see how much better I am now and how much worse of I was last time.
“Straight after surgery I felt excellent.”
With Gameiro on the sidelines, City have built a case as a title contender in 2015-16.
A finals appearance looks more than likely and Gameiro thinks they will be a force when they get there.
“I am very confident that we will be up there come the end of the season,” he said.
“I think we are going to win it this year.
“We have got a massive amount of talent in the squad. We have just brought in three new players who add to that so that strengthens us even more.”