Terrence Boyd admits his serious knee injury has allowed him to learn a very important life skill.
The 24-year old American striker joined 2.Bundesliga side RB Leipzig in the summer after a stellar campaign with Austria Vienna in the Austrian Bundesliga.
Boyd's career with Leipzig began well enough, scoring three goals in his first seven appearances, before he tore both his anterior cruciate (ACL) and lateral collateral (LCL) ligaments against FC Ingolstadt in December.
During his recovery, however, Boyd has become a student of the game by watching other strikers closely but admits he hates going to watch his team live.
"I'm able to watch all the moves - how to beat the offside trap, how to get to the ball, positioning, making yourself available," he told MLSsoccer.com.
"Actually, I hate going to home games because you could be out there playing with your team," he added.
"It really hurts, it's just not funny at all. You miss the feeling of being out there with your boys fighting for a win.
"This injury taught me a lot of things about patience, about believing in yourself."
Boyd added further that Leipzig, who are placed sixth in Germany's second division, are preparing for promotion to the Bundesliga.
"I've been part of the process, too, so I know what it feels like," Boyd said.
"I know the guys on the team. If we don't make promotion, we just have to learn and come back next season saying we have matured and we are ready now."