Conor McGregor gives advice to professional footballer cousin after midfielder suffers devastating ACL injury
CONOR MCGREGOR has offered his cousin Keith Buckley some advice after he suffered an ACL injury.
Buckley, a professional footballer for Ireland Premier Division side Bohemians sustained the blow last month in a 2-0 win over St Patrick’s Athletic.
The 31-year-old, who is also captain of his team, will reportedly need two surgeries for firstly re-attach his medial collateral ligament and then to repair the ACL.
McGregor, 35, is no stranger to this type of injury, falling foul of an ACL injury in 2013 in his win over Max Halloway which left him out of action for around 11 months.
He experienced another ACL setback just 14 weeks before of his fight with Chad Mendes, but managed to fight through an 80 per cent tear and win the clash.
McGregor’s injury in 2015 was documented in his behind the scenes “Notorious” Netflix series.
And Buckley has now revealed he has seeked out his cousin for advice on the recovery process.
As quoted by talkSPORT, he said: “Funny enough, my cousin did it in a fight a couple of years ago.
“I have only been re-watching his documentary. I do look at him sometimes to get a bit of motivation. I have been chatting to him. As he said, it’s a journey now, a process for your mind.
“You will find out a lot more mentally about yourself that you never did before. He has been a help in that way. He did it [ACL] himself and was able to win world titles after that.
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“I’m only 31, I’m not 40. He doesn’t have to [reach out], he has other things going on, but it’s good to see. If I ever need anything, he can help me out and push me to certain people.”
Buckley will be hoping the advice can help him make a successful return to football.
Following his injuries, McGregor went on to win the UFC Featherweight and Lightweight titles.
However, midfielder Buckley is choosing to keep a positive outlook without setting his expectations too high for his return.
He continued: “I had about an hour in the hospital [coming to terms with it] and that was it.
“Nothing you can do. I have three other limbs working. I’m healthy, I’m happy.”