Newcastle United defender Steven Taylor returned from a long-term injury in the team’s pre-season friendly against Olympiacos and revealed his delight and relief to being back for the Magpies.
The bulky defender had been out for seven months following an injury on his ankle and he admitted fearsof not being able to play football ever again. Taylor revealed that the seven months on the sidelines were indeed the darkest days of his football career.
Taylor featured in Newcastle’s game against Greek side Olympiacos and scored on his long-awaited comeback. Newcastle will next face Portuguese club Braga in the same mini-tournament and Taylor will be hoping to reclaim his place in the Newcastle United starting
eleven.
The centre-half had suffered from an Achilles rupture and was out of action since December. This saw an end to the unlucky defender’s fine run in a Newcastle jersey. The player had been featuring regularly for the Magpies alongside captain Fabricio Coloccini,
and both players had formed a formidable and solid defensive pairing at the back.
Taylor recently spoke to the media about his comeback. He revealed the nature of the extensive rehab therapy that he had to undergo and the long and tiresome training sessions to get back into shape following the surgery on his ankle.
He also revealed his fear of being unable to replicate his pre-injury form which had seen him getting called up for the http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/England-c749 national team at the start of last season.
Speaking to the press, Taylor said:
“It was seven months of agony. The first four months were awful. I couldn’t walk properly for that time – I had a limp and I had to teach myself how to do all the basic things. It was quite emotional. I thought I would struggle to twist and turn sharply
again and run backwards on it, but thankfully I’ve been back in training a while and it has been fine.”
“When I first did it, in my head I was thinking I might never be able to do certain things again. It was just horrible – I didn’t want to think about it.”
“The more rehab I did, the more I started to believe in myself.”
The English centre-half has been impressive so far and is determined to improve, and reach the form that had seen him become a very integral part of the Newcastle squad.
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