Tahvon Campbell spoke to www.rochdaleafc.co.uk on Tuesday, after playing in Dale’s Central League Cup fixture against Lincoln City.
The match marked a long awaited return for the forward, who had been sidelined since March with a broken foot.
He played 56 minutes in the fixture at the Imps’ training ground, and says it was great to be back out there.
“It feels good. I have been waiting on this for a while!
“I was important to make sure that everything was fully right before I played again to avoid rushing in and having to come back out again. But I’m feeling really good at the moment, and I’m excited to keep going and keep working towards getting back into team.
“Today was tough, as it was obviously the first time I’ve played in over five months, but I enjoyed it and that was the main thing that came out of the game.”
Campbell broke his foot in Dale’s Sky Bet League Two fixture against Mansfield Town back in March and he says the last few months have been tough.
“It has been horrible. I know it could have been worse, but it has been the longest injury that I have had. The club and all the staff have helped me get through it mentally. They’ve helped me to try and to stay positive and maintain fitness in different ways. It has been a tough journey and I’m just happy to be back with the boys now.”
And Campbell talks us though his rehabilitation process.
“Firstly, I had to change my diet because I wasn’t able to do anywhere near the amount of fitness work that I had been doing previously.
“I was off feet, due to having a broken foot, so there was minimal things that I could do. Because of that, it was mainly about watching what I ate, which, for me, was a challenge because I was at home 24/7. Then, when I was able to, I got on the bike and did a load of work to strengthen the area around my foot and my legs again. That was to make sure I didn’t pull any other muscles or cause soft tissue damage. Everything was geared towards making sure I was right to play again.
“I’m looking forward to getting a good few weeks in training now, so it’s all positive.”