McArthur: Recovery, milestones and mentorship

This interview originally appeared in the Crystal Palace v Manchester City matchday programme. You can shop for programmes by clicking HERE.

After more than a decade at the top-level, James McArthur was worried that this injury might prove his last.

But when the Scot entered the fray at Villa Park in early March, the state of play on the field was the only thing in anybody’s mind. Palace, a goal down, were trying to fight back despite a man disadvantage, and football is about winning – as a team.

But just because the team is sacrosanct does not mean the sport should forget individuals. The players may be part of a wider narrative – the twists and turns of a Premier League season, some joyfully organic, some manufactured by over-eager television directors – but each player is battling every week to keep advancing their own personal story.

When McArthur replaced Sambi Lokonga for the final ten minutes of that match, he began to write a new chapter of his career – one he was unsure he would ever manage to reach. “When you get a hamstring injury, you know it’s a six-week injury. When you have a hip operation, especially at my age, you don’t know if you will ever return to playing,” he explains.

“That was tough, but I worked with so many great people. The physios I would give the biggest single mention to. They were there every step of the way. So many people help me through the process, but needing to keep up with my rubbish, my banter every day must have been tough for them.

“It’s tough for any player going through a rehabilitative process – and it’s hard when you don’t know whether you’re going to get back. I try to stay as happy and positive and bubbly [as possible] to try to help the lads. Even though you aren’t on the pitch, you try to help with the mood in training and in games.

“Trying to help to drive people is something I have enjoyed and relished.” This last sentiment is a telling glimpse into McArthur’s personality – and may give some clue as to why he has been touted as a potential manager when he eventually hangs up his boots.

He has already taken on something of a mentoring role for another player in the squad that has suffered with terrible luck when it comes to injury setbacks: Nathan Ferguson. “I always feel sorry for people who haven’t had much of a career yet and get these injuries,” McArthur says.

“For me, I’ve had a good career and if I get back, that’s amazing, and I will work hard to do that. But I knew going into that operation that there was a chance I wouldn’t, and if it was the end I had had a good run at it. I felt I had done well for the club and they had done well for me. So I was content with what the final outcome was.

“[Nathan and I] did a lot of rehab together. He is such a nice lad. I really believe he can have a big future at this club. He has all the attributes to be a top player. He’s coming into a stage where he is staying fit, starting to play some games.

"He is the same as me: when he is on the pitch he gives everything, sometimes to the detriment of himself. We have spoken about that. I really believe he is going to come good, turn the corner and make a positive contribution in the future.

“I must say that, given what he has been through, the attitude he has got is a credit to himself and his family, every single day. Obviously, you get some down days when you get injured, but it gets back to the process of: ‘I’m getting fit, I’m getting fit, I’m getting fit!’ That’s why I want him to have the career he deserves.”

That short cameo against Aston Villa saw McArthur reach a memorable landmark: 250 games in a Crystal Palace shirt.

It reinforces how much experience the side lost during his time on the treatment table, and the 35-year-old believes that the superlative talent in the dressing room just needs that bit more nous and know-how to achieve special things.

“I didn’t know – Danny [Young] told me when I was sitting on the bench a couple of weeks before,” he says. “I didn’t realise how close I was. To get 250 appearances for any club is good, and I have enjoyed every one of them – even the bad games help you become a better player.

“I have enjoyed my time here, I’ve loved it. This is the club I love and it will always have a special place in my heart.

“When I first came, we had a lot of experience. We have got less experience now, but in my opinion – and no disrespect to the other squads – much more talent. It’s about combining that with experience to get the best out of the squad.”

Blending that youth and experience is certainly a challenge, but McArthur is convinced that it can push Palace to the next level. In the era of tactical complexity and dynamic youngsters, the mental side of the game is just as important as ever.

He explains: "Experience is important. It’s important to help people get through these moments, and to help the younger lads keep producing moments of magic.

"We know that inconsistency is a thing with younger teams, so it’s about getting the best out of each other and trying to push on.”

From McArthur’s considerable experience, one win can mean everything.

Football is a sport where momentum is cherished above all else – and it can come at any time. “I’ve been in football for a long team, and I’ve seen it – be it here or at Wigan or Hamilton,” he says. “One week you can be so low. You come in on a Monday and it’s as flat as anything.

“The next Monday you have won and everything is amazing and we are going to do amazing things. It’s important to stay level in football. When you do wrong, try to learn from that experience rather than beat yourself up.

“There are players that haven’t been on bad runs, but others have seen it all before and know we have to keep calm, keep doing the right things and eradicate the wrongs."

For Palace fans, the Villa match provided a double helping of welcome news: Wilfried Zaha made his return from injury too. McArthur has played more minutes with the Ivorian than anyone else – more than 15,000 in total – and sees him as the perfect role model.

“Wilf – and I think he would agree – is hard work at times, but in a good way,” he says, smiling. “He is hard work in that he demands and moans at people, but for the right reason and the benefit of the team.

“I’ve had him moaning at me so many times throughout the years, but we all go back to the same thing: we always want to win football matches. I enjoy playing with him. He’s such a special talent and a great player for the club.

“For young players, he is the player they should be looking at: how ruthless he is, how much he wants to win. Sometimes it may come across as moaning, but it is the intent to win.” Zaha is certainly a good role model, but McArthur is clearly another.

Even during a lengthy injury spell he was an important dressing room figure, a calm personality amidst the frantic pace of a Premier League season. He has offered advice to younger players, presented solutions to Palace’s problems and offered encouragement when things are going well.

It is little wonder he has been touted as a successful manager in the future.