Wembley hero Jermaine Beckford returned to action after eight months on the sidelines for last weekend’s clash with Queens Park Rangers.
Speaking to PNE Player he admitted that he was relieved to have made it back and was delighted to have finally been able to pull on the lilywhite shirt again.
“It was a relief,” he told the Club’s online TV channel. “After so long out and training as hard as I could train, it was nice to come back from something that is as difficult as what I have been through and to play a few minutes felt really good.
“Every now and then I like to lighten things up and get the blood pumping and the manager said to me ‘try not to do anything silly’ and for me the game was a little bit flat and I felt like we needed a bit of a boost and I felt when I came on I tried to do that and it was a good feeling.
“It was a really positive moment to be on the pitch when we got the equaliser. I have been watching every game and when we score goals it is a great feeling, but it is not the same feeling as when you are on the pitch, whether you are involved in the goal or not.
“It was almost a relief, because I didn’t think they deserved anything from the game; but they got the early goal and we showed great fight and determination to stick with it and get the goal and it was really nice to be involved with that.”
The build-up and expectation of his return has been palpable, with fans desperate to know when he would be back on the pitch, however, he was still surprised and delighted by the reaction of his selection in the 18.
“I wasn’t expecting the reaction that I got and it made me appreciate everybody who has been behind me and supporting me.
“It is really nice to know that the journey that I have been on has not been forgotten. It is a really nice feeling,” he added.
You can hear a lot more from Jermaine by logging onto PNE Player to watch the full interview – click here now to see what he had to say about his fitness levels and his aspirations for the rest of the season.
“It was a relief,” he told the Club’s online TV channel. “After so long out and training as hard as I could train, it was nice to come back from something that is as difficult as what I have been through and to play a few minutes felt really good.
“Every now and then I like to lighten things up and get the blood pumping and the manager said to me ‘try not to do anything silly’ and for me the game was a little bit flat and I felt like we needed a bit of a boost and I felt when I came on I tried to do that and it was a good feeling.
“It was a really positive moment to be on the pitch when we got the equaliser. I have been watching every game and when we score goals it is a great feeling, but it is not the same feeling as when you are on the pitch, whether you are involved in the goal or not.
“It was almost a relief, because I didn’t think they deserved anything from the game; but they got the early goal and we showed great fight and determination to stick with it and get the goal and it was really nice to be involved with that.”
The build-up and expectation of his return has been palpable, with fans desperate to know when he would be back on the pitch, however, he was still surprised and delighted by the reaction of his selection in the 18.
“I wasn’t expecting the reaction that I got and it made me appreciate everybody who has been behind me and supporting me.
“It is really nice to know that the journey that I have been on has not been forgotten. It is a really nice feeling,” he added.
You can hear a lot more from Jermaine by logging onto PNE Player to watch the full interview – click here now to see what he had to say about his fitness levels and his aspirations for the rest of the season.