Noah Holm says he has experienced “a lot of different things” in his quest to get back on the field.
Reporting from Trondheim
The short version
- Noah Holm is back on the field after long-term injury issues.
- He got 40 minutes as a substitute against Fredrikstad and contributed strongly.
- Holm underwent several surgeries and a year of intense training.
- The 23-year-old believes he is now better equipped for a top-level sporting career.
-It's so great to be back. Now I understand why you spend all those hours in the gym, Noah Holm tells VG.
Despite a poor goal in extra time that denied RBK two points against Fredrikstad, the striker has to smile a little.
A body that has not played in a team in recent years is in the process of healing. Against FFK, he got 40 minutes as a substitute. Thanks to his phenomenal physique, Hulme has been heavily involved in RBK's good spell.
This is in stark contrast to the past year and a half where he barely played any football. A fatigue fracture of the foot led to several operations.
-It was absolutely terrible. I couldn't do what I love most. I went from being a football player to being a bodybuilder for a while. When you keep taking new hits, it's incredibly heavy, says Hulme, and thanks his teammates and the club for their support.
He's only 23 years old, but Noah Holm has been talked about for years. The striker, who is the son of David Nielsen, went to German football early.
Now he talks about a year away from his career. But 2023 is not lost, as he thinks himself.
– I may have lost a year of my career, but at the same time I may have extended it. I have made incredibly big steps towards becoming a footballer outside of coaching. I've gained a huge respect for everything from diet to being in the gym and living like the best athlete 24/7,” Holm says.
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Noah Holm (closest to camera) last fall with visible signs of an injured foot. -
On Sunday, Holm once again took to the mat to strike a little.
“I experienced a lot of different things,” he says.
-You're constantly getting advice that you see on the internet and all kinds of things, but you have to find out for yourself what works. It may happen that something that works for me does not work for others in the team.
-Is there something stuck in Noah Holm's refrigerator?
-Anyway, there's a good pile of entrecote there. But it will be without sauce. Alfred likes to “pinch-test” us, says Holm.
– Was there some kind of thing? Carnivorous diet?
– Yes, that was some time ago. At the same time, I have to feel like I have the energy to be able to perform and train every day, he says.
A photo from the start of the season showed an out-of-shape Noah Holm, which was quickly pointed out on social media.
– When I had two operations and was able to move, it was clear that the weight increased. Then you have to deal with it when you come back from injury. Holm says this photo was probably taken a month after the operation.
– How did you face that?
– Of course it wasn't bad to have a good time that way, but I'd been through so much that it was the least of my problems. It was four months until the season started and I couldn't move. It's normal, Holm says.
Against Fredrikstad, Holm looked livelier than he has in a long time. For the first time in a long time, he can allow himself to think positively about his football future.
-I still have a long way to go to be at the top level. There are many sessions to be played and matches to be played. But I'm on the right track now. Noah Holm says going from the game now to the last is a big step.
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