Chesterfield midfielder provides update on his road to recovery after knee injury

The midfielder went under the knife in the summer and is yet to play this season.

He said he has been trying to ‘detach’ himself from football for a bit so that he is not tempted to rush himself back only to get injured again.

“My recovery is going really well, I am really happy with how I am feeling at the moment,” he told 1866 Sport.

"It is tough and frustrating when you can’t do what you love, but I have been in football a long time so I am used to overcoming challenges.”

The 29-year-old’s contract expires next year so he will be keen to get playing as soon as possible. He did not give a timeframe for when he might be back, but he is expected to return around the second-half of the season.

"It is not about timeframe, it is more about how I am feeling,” he explained. “Rehab is going really well, we are definitely not rushing anything which is good because I want to come back 100 per cent obviously.

"Hopefully it will be sooner rather than later.”

The former Port Vale man has started his own blog, writing about the difficulties that footballers face which people might not realise, including the mental side of the game.

He said: “When you are on crutches it is obvious to see what you are going through physically but mentally no one can ever see it. I try to surround myself with people that love me. I read books about people who have gone through difficult stuff as well, not just in football, but people in life as well to try and help me realise it is not just me in my own bubble who is going through a tough time, everyone in life is. Instead of wanting an easy life, it is about being a person who can deal with harder times better and have that mentality that nothing is going to be easy.”

On his blog, he added: "I wanted to give a perspective on the ins and outs of the things that go on in footballers’ lives. I just thought why not put something out in the world that is positive and if it helps one person then that is great.”