Kaka is back

For a new player to a club, there is no better way to become instantly endeared by its fans than by scoring against their most fierce rivals. And, this is exactly what Kaka did shortly after joining Milan in 2003. At the tender age of just 21-years-old, he netted Milan’s second in a 3-1 victory over Inter. It was the start of great things for both player and club.

It is incredible, however, to think that just three years prior the Brazilian starlet was told that he may never walk again, let alone play football. On a visit to his grandparents’ house in Caldas Novas, he slipped on a springboard and hit his head on the bottom of a pool twisting his neck and fracturing a vertebra. Miraculously, he fully recovered and since then Kaka has never been in two minds as to who helped him pull through: “Back at home we always thanked God because we knew that it was His hand that had saved and protected me,” he said some years later. It was a remarkable turnaround for the young footballer and an inspiring one, too.

Fast forward to 2012, Kaka has faced a different kind of problem, yet, one that has also been career-threatening in a different kind way. Cast aside and told to find another club by Jose Mourinho during the summer, the future was not looking bright for the Real Madrid number eight in August. He sat on the bench as the Spanish champions got their season underway at home toValencia and he did the same in the next four matches. October was fast approaching and he still had not seen a minute of playing time.

It was a sad sight to see the man who once had the world at his feet left to rot away on the bench, Not that anyone didn’t expect it. Injuries and poor form had undermined his first two seasons in the Spanish capital and while last season he did contribute goals and assists, by the end of May it was clear that he really was not a central part of his coach’s plans, hence the harsh words by Mourinho a couple of months later.

Despite all his trials and tribulations, Kaka insisted earlier this year: “I want to stay here (at Real Madrid), absolutely. I am not going anywhere because I want to succeed at Madrid”. However, as summer came he was increasingly been linked with a move away. Former club, Milan, were keen bring their former star back to Italy and it seemed the Brazilian was not against the idea. However, the clubs failed to agree to a deal and that was that.

In the end, Kaka remained a Real Madrid player and he was left with one choice; to try and win favour with Mourinho. A difficult task that was made more difficult with the club’s signing of Luka Modric, a player the Portuguese is particularly fond of. With the arrival of the Croatian, the Madrid press were labelling Kaka as El Octavo; the eighth choice attacker behind Cristiano Ronaldo, Gonzalo Higuain, Karim Benzema, Mesut Ozil, Angel Di Maria, Jose Maria Callejon and Luka Modric. Suffice to say, he was a long way down the pecking order.

In response, Kaka knuckled down, doing double sessions on a daily basis at Real Madrid’s Valdebebas training ground with increasing his speed and strength the two focal areas of his new training regime. He has often also been seen training with the Castilla, like the day after his Real’s victory over Manchester City – which Mourinho had given his players off.

He was trying to make a statement of intent to Mourinho. And, if the message had not got through to the Portuguese through his training, the Brazilian made sure it did when given a chance to play against Columbia’s Millionaires. A fine performance and three goals and he had Mourinho thinking again, as the former Chelsea boss himself admitted.

In the next league game Kaka was rewarded for his efforts with 45 minutes against Deportivo. Days later he started against Ajax in the Champions League and he was simply magnificent. It was almost like watching the Kaka of old, full of dribbles and runs and creating opportunities for his teammates as well as for himself.

Still, he started the Clasico on the bench, but this was to be expected. However, his improving performances together with reports emanating from the Madrid camp that he was in fine shape was enough to convince Mano Menezes to include him in the Brazil squad for their friendly matches against Iraq and Japan.

Kaka admitted to being surprised by his recall to the national team after two years on the outer. And, well he would have been for despite his progress, it was still a lean basis for Menezes to call him up. However, when Kaka joined up with the Brazil camp the team’s physiotherapists were impressed with his physical condition, one of them being reported by Marca saying: “He looks very strong. We have found him in very good shape and we hope that he will maintain it.”

The former World Player of the Year continued to train extra hours with the Selecao, completing three voluntary sessions not even two days after joining his compatriots, one in the gym on the Tuesday morning when Menezes allowed his players some free time.

Come Thursday’s encounter with Iraq, all the extra work seemed to pay off. After teeing up Oscar with a simple tap in, Kaka got himself on the score sheet with a brilliant solo effort. Admittedly, Iraq did not present the strongest of opponents. However, fresh from beating France in Paris, Japan did pose a greater challenge for Kaka but the result was the same. Another inspired showing and a goal to cap it off. And, he could have had two had it not been for the woodwork.

Whether Kaka will make the grade for the world cup in two years’ time is too early to tell. However, his experience and professionalism may go a long way in a side bursting with talented starlets but perhaps lacking in other departments.

His goal-scoring return for Brazil has completed his return to form and fitness. Kaka is back. But, unlike earlier 12 years earlier, there has been little divine inspiration about this comeback.

It has been down to plain hard work. “I never lost the hope of coming back and experiencing what I am now. This is a personal resurgence that I have achieved gradually through a lot of hard work. I’m trying to make the most of every match, enjoy it and do a job for the team. I know that I have to take every opportunity I get to win back my place in the football world,” he said after his country’s 6-0 demolition of Iraq.

But, what is similar to how he returned to playing football after his back injury as teenager is that his latest comeback is just as inspiring. From being the 2007 Ballon D’Or winner to training with the Real Madrid reserves in order to impress the coach and get back into team, it has been akin to starting over at 30-years-old. This takes humility, determination and discipline – attributes Kaka has in abundance, as he has clearly showed.

Doubts remain as to what the future holds for him in Madrid. In a team full of stars, it will be hard for him to hold a place down in Mourinho’s starting eleven. He may even still leave in January for pastures anew. However, as he once said, “I learnt that it is faith that decides whether something will happen or not,” so perhaps if he can just retain a little bit of this then the Santiago Bernabeu may just finally get to see the best of him, if only for a short while.