Josh Gatt had already endured surgeries to reconstruct the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in 2013 and again in 2014. The third operation in 2015 proved the former U.S. men’s national team player was drowning in bad luck.

The Plymouth, Mich., native was on the comeback trail with his Norwegian club, Molde, when five minutes into his first game, he dived in a tackle and felt the same knee buckle.

Gatt had deja vu: another ACL tear. But contrary to reports that it was the same injury, the damage was to his meniscus and surrounding cartilage. That wasn’t the whole story, though.

“With a closer, in-depth look at my knee, they saw that the ACL healed to the wrong spot on my knee, so instead of being at the proper anchor point at top, it fell off the hook it was supposed to heal to and slipped and attached to my (posterior cruciate ligament),” Gatt told the Pioneer Press last week.

After yet another reconstruction and rehabilitation, Gatt says he is fully healed and ready for a rebirth with Minnesota United. The Loons signed the winger in February to help bolster their attack for their inaugural Major League Soccer season.

Related Articles Minnesota United’s injury list won’t shrink much in near future

Loons set new record low in 1-0 loss to Sporting Kansas City

Loons coach Adrian Heath ‘bemused’ at MLS schedule release

‘LOD MAN!’ Loons winger Robin Lod’s breakout play stirs song lyrics

Loons have ‘money available’ and roster flexibility for more additions Gatt, 25, is the first of four United players to be introduced this week ahead of Friday’s season opener against the Portland Timbers. After turning pro out of high school to play in for Altach in Austria in 2010 and Molde since 2011, he returns home.

“This was a perfect opportunity to come back and not only revamp myself, but also take the opportunity to continue playing in a very good and up-and-coming league,” Gatt said.

When the anesthesia wore off after Gatt’s second ACL surgery in 2014, the doctor in Norway suggested that Gatt should retire.

“What do you say to somebody who tells you that you should stop doing what you love?” Gatt asked. “If my leg got cut off, there is a reason that I could never do it again.”

Gatt ignored that doctor’s orders and rehabbed his way back to the field. After the third injury, he followed the advice of then-U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann, who suggested Gatt head to Germany to recover. That’s where it was found out that second doctor — the one who told him to hang up his boots — failed to properly reattach the ACL. Gatt found resolve as he rehabbed with fellow U.S. players Geoff Cameron and Aron Johannsson, among others, in Munich.

While Klinsmann faced blistering critiques before being fired in November, Gatt remains appreciative of how Klinsmann didn’t toss him onto the scrap heap when he got hurt.

“It made me feel still important, and that is a huge thing to feel, especially with your national team,” Gatt said. “Your club, they care because they are paying you, but the national team isn’t paying us anything. They just want to get the best players out on the field. For him to reach out and feel like all of us were important to be a part of his team. That is motivation in and of itself to fight and get back.”

Gatt can’t remember all the dates of the injuries and surgeries. He doesn’t want to, either, because he can’t alter the past, especially the particularly difficult moments.

After two appearances for the U.S. — against Russia in November 2012 and Canada in January 2013 — he was set to go to the Gold Cup that following summer. But he first hurt his knee days before he was set to depart Norway.

Before the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, Gatt received the call-up the day before he went under the knife for his second surgery.

Gatt can, however, rattle one date off the top of his head: Sept. 14, 2015 — the last time he had surgery. He’s proud of that one because there have been no setbacks since.

“It’s been almost 16 months, 17 months since surgery and no injuries, no issues, no swelling, no pain,” Gatt explained. “I’ve been playing 100 percent back in games, started. Never had any issues with turf, grass, whatever it was. It showed that it could be done.”

Former U.S. men’s national team player Herculez Gomez briefly trained with a 21-year-old Gatt in 2012.

“I’ve been through the injury he’s had, and it’s a very frustrating process,” Gomez said. “You have to be mentally strong to come out of that and keep going. He’s suffered two of them? Three?

“The fact that he’s coming out of that and is still willing to have the same exuberance and fight in him to keep going speaks volumes,” Gomez added.

Gatt’s “A” game is unleashing his speed on the wing, and he’s ready to display to United and all of MLS that he hasn’t slowed down one milisecond.

“I don’t think I’ve lost any steps,” Gatt said. “It’s a gift to have that because I know players have, but I don’t feel that way. I feel fortunate in that fact, and I’ve shown it, too.”

He’s so determined that one of his goals is to catch the eye of new U.S. coach Bruce Arena.