FITNESS FIRST

"To say I got through the game against Everton is right. I found it really difficult in the second half but at least my foot felt a lot better than it did last week. I
was delighted with the first 45 minutes - that was no problem. But, in the last
20 of the second half, I struggled fitness-wise.

"Before the game, I was speaking to the physios and we agreed to go as far
as I could and, if my foot or fitness was giving me a problem, I'd come off. It
was always going to be a bit of a problem because it was my first game for
five months.

"I was just delighted to play a game again because it has been such a long
time, even though it was only the reserves. Hopefully, I could be back in the
squad next week at Bolton, but maybe that is a bit too soon. And, of course,
the defence has played brilliantly, so unless there are injuries, why would the
boss want to play me next Wednesday?

"I just want to be in the squad, even if I'm sub or don't even make the bench -
it's what I live for. I did have a setback because we tried to let it heal naturally.
After eight weeks of that, we then decided to have an operation and that's
another three months.

"It has been a long, slow process. There have been aches and pains during
that time and the way I have been walking has been difficult, but I can see a
light at the end of the tunnel now having played a full 90 minutes."

"It will be difficult to get back in the side, not just fitness-wise but because the
defence has looked strong. It has been very frustrating because I was on
crutches most of the time, just waiting to get back into the first team. But I
have been pretty lucky in a sense in that it happened over the summer
months. Otherwise, I might have missed another 10 games for United."