Commerce City, CO – After establishing himself as a mainstay of the Colorado Rapids match day squad much of the previous two seasons since he joined MLS from Wolverhampton, Connor Ronan experienced his first setback in March 2024, setting off an odd run of luck this season requiring time away from the pitch.
The quiet Irishman admits it’s been a bit of a new development in his career, but one on which he applies the same focus and determination that he does in the Rapids midfield. “I had two consistent years of playing quite a lot, which was nice,” he told Burgundy Wave recently. “It was a strange one because off the back of coming here and playing every game the year before, it was a bit of a reality check.”
The reality showed up as a significant knee injury in 2024 just as Connor was embracing his role as a leader in the locker room for the Rapids.
“You can lead yourself into thinking that you can never get injured, but I like to think I look after myself pretty well, and it was a bit of a freak one and awkward landing. I remember initially thinking it was going to be a lot worse because of the motion it was.”
Like many athletes going through a specific injury for the first time, Ronan admits, “Immediately, your head just goes to the worst place,” which can be tough for some players who may not take the same approach as Connor did in analyzing his road ahead, but ultimately was a bright side for him.
“The first 24 hours were tough because I was waiting for my scan results hoping for the best. When I found out, it was weird because I got given a timeline of 6-8 weeks for the injury it was and I ended up feeling pretty positive about it because my head was in such a bad place thinking it could have been way worse and my season could’ve been done.”
He explains the things he had to concentrate on in the following weeks, and says focusing on the tasks that directly help and compartmentalizing his activity has been key. “I rehab pretty well. I take it really seriously and I try to do everything I can to get back on the pitch as soon as possible.”
“I try and get the timeline and get as close as possible without rushing it. It’s going home, eating the right things, the right supplements for the specific injury you’ve got. My wife’s always been really helpful with that because she’ll take a little bit more on so I can rest a bit more. The rehab went really well.”
2025 started with high hopes, as Connor was ready to begin another run of being a consistent starter for Colorado in Head Coach Chris Armas’ second season. However, just three games into the season, Ronan needed an appendectomy out of nowhere and more time on the sidelines was required. This time was different, however, in that the injury didn’t inhibit his movement or ability, so just getting that fitness level back was key.
Mid-July saw tough times for both Ronan and the Rapids as a whole, with the midfielder landing awkwardly on his ankle, taking him out of the lineup yet again for what would be the next four matches. In addition, Colorado saw two more stalwart members of their midfield also disappear – Josh Atencio to injury, and Djordje Mihailović being sent Toronto – making matters worse in Commerce City.
“I feel like it’s been a strange year being in and out of the team this year, and then getting the injury at the same time as Josh, and then Djordje leaves, there’s a period where we have so many players chopping and change all the time,” laments Ronan. “Then I get the injury and I feel like I would’ve been playing consistently here, and it’s hard not to go there, but your head goes to why – just the timing of it, the year I was having in general being pretty frustrated.”
“I felt probably the best I’ve felt all season in terms of I got back in the team, we had some games, we were on an ok run, and I felt good with my performances. I felt good on the pitch and could do what I wanted to do. Then that injury comes and it feels like the world is against you sometimes,” he explains, admitting it’s hard not to let doubt chip away at your mentality if you don’t have a strong belief in yourself.
“I think the mental side can get hard if the rehab isn’t quite going as planned, and you’ve got goals to hit and you’re not hitting them, but I’ve never had that luckily,” Connor says. “They had to do some mental work with me at times. You get a lot of treatment in there, but sometimes it’s, ‘how you doing?’ I was always fine, but again there’s times at the start where you think the timing is just awful. It’s not a therapy session, but it’s just checking in.”
As far as the physical side this time around, Ronan was keen to get a timetable, find out what needed to be done, then make his full-time job taking each step before moving on to the next and not rush things.
“The first few days with how swollen it was I couldn’t really do anything, but once that rehab starts and you start moving, I’m pretty focused on day-to-day.”
“With most injuries that are more than 4-6 weeks, it’s always going to be to get your scan first to get some sort of diagnosis and have a starting point,” Ronan explains. “So, with the ankle it was get the diagnosis, meet with a specialist, they’ll tell you what they think and give you a timeline. A lot of the rehab stuff, especially with me, I’m very conscious of what I’m doing and not wanting to do too much too soon.”
“Honestly, I’m so conscious about the longevity of my career, and I’m not trying to rush an injury to get one more game in and put more on the line,” he says with a real sense of self-awareness. “It’s funny, it actually turns out I came back quicker than expected. I did roughly a 4-8 week timeline in just 5.5 weeks. My mindset all through rehab was if I could do everything right away from the pitch (see the specialist, eat right) and then I come back, and if I have an issue or a setback, I can never blame myself.”
As far as the kinds of things he was required to do in order to get the ankle back to full strength, Connor details the steps as if he were checking off a grocery list. “Ultimately, it’s the player who knows what’s going on, so you can push it to a certain point, but if you’re getting sharp pain it’s a fine line.”
“Everything will be checked off by the specialist we saw just to confirm that we’re good to be walking on the treadmill, then do the balance exercises, then jogging and jumping. Week-by-week, that’s what it looked like – ticking off walking without a crutch, then it would be getting the swelling down and starting to do some balance work, single leg balance work, it’s just day-by-day ticking off these little goals.”
All of which isn’t necessarily an easy task, especially with a young family at home, Ronan admits smiling as he talks. “I know some people go the other way, but I can’t get out of this headspace that I need to lock in and really focus on everything in my life becomes revolved around my injury. My little boy can’t be jumping on me, my wife takes him more at home, we’re looking at different meals, what’s best for ligament healing, and then I come back and I feel good with no issues. I feel good about that
because I’ve played a part in that and I’ve done the right things.”
The last step may not have been the toughest physically, however Connor knew it was just as important for his general mindset of how he plays the game to be ready to go into the playoff push as well.
“You have little goals for each week for where you need to be. It’s coming back and not being worried about the injury, but more just trying to get the sharpness back in the legs in general.”
“It’s also thinking about it. I like to think I’m a player who tries not to think too much and just plays, but when you come back from that injury and you think, ‘oh, do I want to control it with the outside of my foot the first few sessions’, and it’s just feeling comfortable again.”
“That’s where I’m at now. I’ve had enough things happen to my ankle since I’ve been back, with blocks and kicks, that it gives you the confidence to be good to go. Even with the ankle now, I’ve only been back a week or two and I feel good, but I know there’s still room to get back to where I need to be. It’s nice to do that whilst starting games and winning games, because sometimes it can be a process getting back into the game.”
Ronan said the exciting, last-minute win over Houston on September 13 was the moment he felt like his old self and is grateful to be back in the mix. “I needed them few games feeling like that then starting to feel good again. The win (over Houston) was one of my favorites, because it was a lot of things rolled into one with the season I’ve had – the disappointment of not playing as much as I want, the weird injuries with the appendicitis and then I get this weird ankle thing – and it’s nice to be back in for 90 minutes, have a part in the goal, everything.”
As Colorado winds down the 2025 season with much to do in their last two matches, Connor is hoping the return of himself, as well as Atencio can provide a bit of a lift against rivals Real Salt Lake and LAFC in a push to hold on to that final playoff spot the Rapids currently occupy.
“Seeing a guy come back from injury is a boost, whether the guy plays all the time or doesn’t play, because you know he’s just been through an injury which as athletes we know that’s the worst thing that can happen in our own heads. It’s a boost to the group.”
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Matt Pollard 
Spencer Baldwin 