United striker Rory Loy (RL) spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria'sJames Phillips (JP) at Friday's open press conference for the local media, Loy talking about his comeback from a broken leg suffered in late December last year:
RL
It has been a long, long road to recovery. It seems harder when you get the little set-backs along the way, but I have put a lot of work in. I probably do need that first tackle, but I don’t think there have been any signs so far other than bit of kind of tentativeness in the first couple of days training to show that it is going to be a problem.
JP
What was it like in that period? You will have come over all sorts of different challenges in your life, what was this injury period like, what did you feel like, how was your mood like, how did you cope with it?
RL
For one reason or another it has been probably the hardest year of my life, I have had nothing to complain about up to this point, but on a serious note it was a very tough year for me for a couple of different reasons. But, the injury was a massive part of that, going in that gym every day is not easy when you have got everything on your mind and things like that, especially with the type of person I am, I tend to overthink things sometimes and let things get on top of me.
But, you have you just got to keep your eyes on the prize all the time and keep working hard, and you have got to just believe that you are going to get back to where you were before and kick on. That’s what you have got to think about and keep in mind every day. There were large spells when I was injured to be fair when there were no other injuries, which doesn’t help when you are in that gym every day.
The last couple of weeks of my injury big Lee (Miller) was coming in and he is a lively character and he has been a good mate, so it has made it slightly easier. But, it is very, very tough, it is the side of football people don’t realise, everyone wants to be a footballer, it is great and this and that but it can be mental torture at times.
People don’t see that side of things, they just watch the game on a Saturday and think that you are finishing at this time or that time, but they don’t see the boys being injured, or me especially. The things I went through, training in the morning, going back to the gym in the afternoon, going to DW Sports at night time and things like that. You can’t complain about the hours but like I say there are other sides to the job which are very, very tough, and it is something I have experienced this year.
JP
Where there times when you were worried that you maybe wouldn’t come back?
RL
No, I don’t think you can think like that. There are times when you doubt you are going to get back to where you were, and especially pre-season when I broke down. It was very tough, I was told to rest for four weeks, I was approaching that Monday thinking that this was it and I was going to be back doing this and that, then eleven days later I was told I was going to be out, I ended up being out for another 18 weeks.
That is just tough, told to rest for four weeks so you go from getting back into everything to sitting in the house again all day, not even allowed to do anything. I went away for a week, I spent that week just wanting to be here, the boys were playing, all was looking up, it was good to get away but still you don’t want to be going away at that time of year, you want to be out with the boys training and playing games and stuff like that.
But, there were times when I definitely thought I am ever going to get back to training every day normally, feeling good and all the rest of it. But, you have just got to keep believing, you have got to just keep believing that it is going to get better, listen to the people that know what they are talking about and believe that one day you are going to get back. Hopefully I am taking the first steps to that road.
JP
What do you remember of the incident itself though where you got injured, the tackle in that game, do you have much of a memory of it?
RL
Aye, I can remember most of it to be fair. It always plays over in your mind that if only I had done this or that, because I remember the part of the game where I got the ball on the touchline. I have seen Matty Robson and I have looked down to pass him the ball, but as I have looked down he has started running and I have literally passed the ball to myself. So, I have passed it and then ran and got it again, and then the ball broke to Paul Thirlwell and he has passed me the ball, and I have taken a touch inside.
As the boy (David Gray) has come through I just remember it and you just know straight away what has happened. I have seen a couple of them on the television and I looked down and I just knew, I mean my leg was in bits really. So, it is not nice but the boys are always there helping you out and letting you know. Paddy (Madden) was making good points and saying that the way the ball came to me the only thing I could have done was turned inside.
There was no room to turn out, it was the only thing I could have done, so it is not like you can think if only I had turned this way or that way, it was the only thing I really could have done. So, he made a good point with that and the boys’s little things help you out and get you thinking that you just need to get on with it now. That is in the past so there is no point thinking about that anymore. I remember all of it, but like I say, it is something that will stick with me forever. But, for now I have just got to forget about it.
JP
Have you spoken to David Gray, the player involved, has he ever been in touch to see how you are getting on or anything?
RL
I played with Davie for a spell when we were involved with the under-21s in Scotland. He sent me a couple of texts back and forth but nothing of note really to be fair. I think if it had been the other way round I would have paid a bit more effort, regardless of whether it was a bad tackle or not I think I would have made a bit more effort to keep up to date with how the progress was going and stuff. But, nah, to be fair, disappointed is not the word but a bit, well, I thought a little bit more could have been said in terms of all the best, good luck, or how are things going, or a little text here or there. But, obviously not.
JP
Did you blame him at the time, do you blame him after, have you come to think it was just something that can happen in football, what were your emotions at the time and now?
RL
It is a physical game, it is a contact sport, Davie is a tough player, he likes to let the player he is playing against know that they are in a game. He has won the ball and I don’t think for a second there was any intention there to break my leg. These things like you have just said happen in football. The different incidents, even Ryan Shawcross when he did it to Aaron Ramsey, it is a terrible tackle, but you can tell straight away that he didn’t mean to do that and he was devastated.
I think Davie’s tackle was fair enough, it was a good enough tackle and these things happen. I don’t feel any bitterness towards him or I don’t feel aggrieved or I don’t feel anything like that. It was just one of those things, it just happened, so good luck to him. It was a good enough tackle and it is just the way it went.
JP
After the year you have just had what sort of year mind’s eye would you like to have now?
RL
I think my main priority has got to be getting fit, getting a run of games in the team, and that is not going to be soon I wouldn’t have imagined. I want it to be soon obviously but that is only if I am ready, I am out of contract in the summer, it is amazing how quickly things can change, I was doing well in the team and within one split second you are out for a year. I think I have just got to concentrate on getting my confidence back, getting my fitness back, getting my touch back and getting my whole game back.
That will come over a few reserve games and then the next step is can I get in the squad, and you get in the squad, can I get on the bench, and then am I training well, can I get 20 minutes, OK I have done well in my 20 minutes, can I get a start. You have just got to build it up from there, it is how it is but my main aim for this year is hope to get my head down, work hard and show the gaffer (Greg Abbott) that I am worth a new contract.