HULL City midfielder Tom Cairney insists his three months on the sidelines has only made him appreciate his career even more.
The 21-year-old made his first-team comeback as a substitute in the Tigers' 2-0 victory over Huddersfield at the weekend.
It proved a welcome landmark in a fitness battle to recover from knee ligament damage sustained in the League Cup exit against Doncaster.
Cairney said: "It was August time when I got injured so, having done pre-season, I knew I then had to go and do another pre-season to get fit.
"That was hard to take but it's all part and parcel of football.
"It's made me mentally stronger and I definitely appreciate my football a lot more now."
Cairney endured "bad days" in the rehabilitation process and found the mental side of his knee injury as difficult as the physical pain.
"Don't get me wrong, it's been a long road," he said.
"I've had some bad days in the rehab along the way so I'm just delighted to be back out with the boys again.
"It's been my first major injury since I started playing, whether as a kid or a professional.
"The mental side of it comes right at the start when you know you've got the injury and knowing how long you're going to be out for. It was a bit of a shock.
"It was hard to get my head around it at the start but the staff at the club had a big part to play. They're the ones that got me there."
Cairney has returned to a City side firmly entrenched in the play-off places as the Championship campaign reaches its half-way point.
Ahead of a trip to Derby on Friday, the Tigers sit level on points with third-placed Middlesbrough, a point adrift of Crystal Palace in second and three behind table-toppers Cardiff.
It has left Cairney under no illusions that he faces hot competition to cement his place in a midfield well stocked with talent.
The upside is he cuts a new, trimmer figure on the pitch, having lost eight kilos.
"I think everyone is asking for my fitness DVD to come out over Christmas! That will be coming to your stores soon I think," he added.
"Joking aside, though, I had to seriously watch my diet because I wasn't doing any cardio because of my knee.
"I wouldn't eat carbs at night time and I was staying off the sweets and chocolate.
"That's what I did for three months and lost over a stone which is frightening really.
"It made me realise what I needed to do to get back.
"I could see the lads flying so I knew I'd have to come back better than before."
