AUGUST 16, the opening day of the Premier League season, was supposed to mark the beginning of a bright new start for Robert Snodgrass.
Upon his arrival from Norwich City in a £7m move this summer, the 27-year-old had spoken of his ambition to live out the best years of his career with Hull City. Together they would become part of the top-flight establishment.
Events at Loftus Road, however, soon put all that on hold.
Fate conspired against Snodgrass in West London when he failed to even make half-time of City's 1-0 win over QPR. Falling awkwardly late in the first period, the Scotland international dislocated his kneecap, suffering ligament and cartilage damage that could spell up to nine months out.
"I don't think anyone, myself included, realised how bad it was but that goes to show how these accidents can happen," explained Snodgrass, speaking at City's Cottingham training complex this week.
"It opens your eyes up. You're one slip or one move away from putting yourself out for a long while.
"Some footballers get away with it and it doesn't happen to them, but unfortunately for myself I've been the unlucky one.
"I've never been out longer for more than eight or nine weeks. This is the worst injury I've had, so when someone tells you that it shatters you.
"It's more the mental side, especially when you move to a new club. You want to show everyone what you can do, your team-mates and the supporters. Not to be able to do that is hard."
An innocuous fall had disastrous consequences and seven weeks after surgery Snodgrass' left knee remains a gruesome sight to behold.
Explaining the details of the operation that repaired a snapped medial ligament he runs his finger along a two-inch scar curving around the top of his kneecap and then down to another, a one-inch horizontal mark below the joint.
Clearing up the mess has not been straightforward and neither have the opening stages of rehabilitation.
For six weeks after the operation Snodgrass wore a brace that kept his left leg straight morning, noon and night. Respite came with its removal last week but even now, as he moves gingerly around City's training ground, there is only limited mobility.
Snodgrass had just completed a light session of strengthening as he sat down to talk and his memories of QPR are crisp.
"I knew straight away something wasn't quite right," said Snodgrass, who had been able to walk off the Loftus Road pitch, rather than requiring a stretcher.
"I'm normally not the type of player that stays down if there's nothing really wrong with me. I usually get back up with a smile on my face and have a bit of a laugh, but I knew something had happened.
"When the knee goes out and then comes back in, you're thinking 'Is that okay?' and on the side of the park they were asking me if I was okay to go back on.
"I was thinking I probably could but at the time it wasn't clear how much damage had been done."
That came in the days that followed when scans revealed alarming damage. There was no option but to operate and as City flew out to Belgium to face Lokeren in the Europa League play-off round, Snodgrass went under the knife of London-based surgeon Andy Williams.
All indications suggest the physical battles have been won but now starts the mental toil.
"I've got my head around the fact it's going to be a long while out but I don't think it firmly sinks in," said Snodgrass.
"There's no recipe or magic wand to get your head right. At 3pm on a Saturday you see everyone playing and it's quite difficult to take.
"In terms of that you'll never be 100 per cent with yourself but instead you get your own daily routine going.
"I'm excited for all the little steps I take through the injury. The first seven weeks have been tough. The first six weeks I had a knee brace on to keep my leg straight. I was sleeping in that so it was tough.
"Now it's just a lot of strengthening. The thigh muscle and the calf muscle, telling them to wake up and work again. That's the stage we're at now. Pool and rehab work.
"It'll be a lot better when we can get some fresh air out there and do some running. I'm not quite at that stage but 12 weeks in I'll be getting involved in a lot more cardio work. It's lots of small steps before you can take big ones. The way I've always been, I like to hit things head on."
No pressure will be placed on Snodgrass to hurry his return from injury. Even the best possible comeback would not see him training fully until late February.
And if City are free from relegation fears, it would seem unlikely a return would be hurried unnecessarily before the season concludes at home to Manchester United on May 24.
In the meantime, Snodgrass will take baby steps back towards being the player Bruce felt compelled to spend £7m on in July – and back towards repaying such faith.
"It's been a great club to join," he said. "The way everyone has made me feel welcome has been fantastic. The only thing missing has been the chance to show them all what I can do.
"I've had so many people wishing me well through Twitter (@robsnodgrass7). It's been really nice. I've had a great reaction from all the Hull fans but also from Norwich and Leeds fans too. That's really good to hear.
"It keeps you going through the hard times, knowing people want you back."
