It is bad enough when you get a season ending injury, but to do it before your season has even started must make it immeasurably intolerable.
However, that was the stark reality that faced Calum Woods when he severely damaged his knee in the opening minutes of last July’s pre-season friendly at Oldham Athletic.
His worst fears were confirmed when scans showed that his 2016/17 campaign was over before it had even began and he would be spending the net nine months in the gym and in the company of the physios and fitness staff at Springfields, rather than out on the pitch with his team-mates.
Reflecting on what has been a mentally tough season, the Scouse-defender told The One And Only that it has been an odd experience.
“This season has been the weirdest and the toughest, probably,” he told the matchday programme when we sat down at the training ground during the international break. “From pre-season, knowing that you’re going to be out the whole season, it’s tough to take. Then basically you’re in every day with the lads and you see them going out in training and you’re going to the games on a Saturday to watch them… it’s hard. But I know I’m getting closer and closer each day, so I’m just looking forward to getting back now.
“I could tell straight away that it was a different sort of injury to what I’ve had before. When you just get a knock on your knee or whatever, you can get back up; I knew straight away I’d damaged it quite badly.
“I just didn’t really know how badly, I didn’t know whether I’d just done my medial and opened it out or something and I would be ruled out for about a couple of months, which I was just hoping for. But I got the worst possible news, so I am now just looking forward to getting back.
“At that stage it was just about coming around to the idea of knowing that you’re going to be out for the whole season.
“It’s mentally tough.
“I didn’t really know what to expect from the injury because I hadn’t had a long-term injury like this before, so I just had no idea what I was going to be in for. But I’ve just got my head down and cracked on with the work and everyone’s been great at the club, from the coaching staff to all the lads.
“Everyone has been behind me, I’ve had good people supporting me – the physios have been brilliant with me.”
There’s plenty more from Calum, plus interviews and features with, amongst others, Daryl Horgan, Chris Maxwell, Tom Barkhuizen, Paul Huntington, Rob Edwards and new father Daniel Johnson.
There’s also all our regular features and plenty on our opponents and the programme will be on sale from Tuesday afternoon from the Sir Tom Finney Stand ticket office or from sellers inside and outside the ground on matchday.
His worst fears were confirmed when scans showed that his 2016/17 campaign was over before it had even began and he would be spending the net nine months in the gym and in the company of the physios and fitness staff at Springfields, rather than out on the pitch with his team-mates.
Reflecting on what has been a mentally tough season, the Scouse-defender told The One And Only that it has been an odd experience.
“This season has been the weirdest and the toughest, probably,” he told the matchday programme when we sat down at the training ground during the international break. “From pre-season, knowing that you’re going to be out the whole season, it’s tough to take. Then basically you’re in every day with the lads and you see them going out in training and you’re going to the games on a Saturday to watch them… it’s hard. But I know I’m getting closer and closer each day, so I’m just looking forward to getting back now.
“I could tell straight away that it was a different sort of injury to what I’ve had before. When you just get a knock on your knee or whatever, you can get back up; I knew straight away I’d damaged it quite badly.
“I just didn’t really know how badly, I didn’t know whether I’d just done my medial and opened it out or something and I would be ruled out for about a couple of months, which I was just hoping for. But I got the worst possible news, so I am now just looking forward to getting back.
“At that stage it was just about coming around to the idea of knowing that you’re going to be out for the whole season.
“It’s mentally tough.
“I didn’t really know what to expect from the injury because I hadn’t had a long-term injury like this before, so I just had no idea what I was going to be in for. But I’ve just got my head down and cracked on with the work and everyone’s been great at the club, from the coaching staff to all the lads.
“Everyone has been behind me, I’ve had good people supporting me – the physios have been brilliant with me.”
There’s plenty more from Calum, plus interviews and features with, amongst others, Daryl Horgan, Chris Maxwell, Tom Barkhuizen, Paul Huntington, Rob Edwards and new father Daniel Johnson.
There’s also all our regular features and plenty on our opponents and the programme will be on sale from Tuesday afternoon from the Sir Tom Finney Stand ticket office or from sellers inside and outside the ground on matchday.