Having spent 12 weeks on the sidelines, prolific Academy goalscorer Jay Stansfield is moving closer to making his return.
His injury required some complicated surgery, but came about in the simplest of fashions.
“I went to block the ball in a training session but got my foot caught in the ground," he said. "All of the force travelled through my ankle and I suffered a hairline fracture/break on the outside of my ankle bone. I also ruptured my ligament which is why I needed surgery.
“The surgery went well, the surgeon was happy with it all and it’s recovered from then on, so I’m nearly back playing.“
Despite struggling to deal with the lack of football so far this season, the pacey finisher who notched up an impressive 22 goals for the Under-18s last season, is hoping that his return is just a matter of days away.
“It’s been a long 12 weeks, don’t get me wrong. It’s hard coming back to the training ground and watching all the other lads play, while you’re stuck in the gym wanting to get out there and train. I’ve trained fully this week and hopefully after one more week, I’ll be back; maybe with the Under-18s for the West Ham game.”
Keeping a positive mindset has been just as important for Jay, who has used the time to work on elements of his game that don’t require a football at his feet.
“There were areas in my game that I needed to work on, not on the pitch but in the gym. I’ve been focused on getting more powerful and stronger and over the 12 weeks I’ve been able to build on that and set myself a plan for the rest of the season.
“Working on my power and speed should add a bit more to my game. I’m putting in those extra hours in the gym in order to improve as a player and get used to that First Team environment.
“Looking forward, I need to end the season strong, look to get back to full fitness and make an impact, whether it be with the 18s or 23s.”
Despite the challenges Covid-19 has brought, Jay remains thankful for all the support he received from the people closest to him.
“Obviously, it’s difficult not being able to see my family as often as possible. They’ve really helped me through it, coming up for socially distanced walks in the park when that was allowed. Once we’ve got the pandemic under control, hopefully we’ll all return to normality soon.”