Walsall defender Kory Roberts was delighted to make his long awaited return to action after his late substitute appearance against Southampton Under 21s on Tuesday.
Roberts has not featured since July 2018 after he broke his leg in a pre-season friendly against Stoke City.
It’s been a long and difficult road for the defender and he was over the moon to make his comeback.
“It feels good to be back in a Saddlers shirt,” said Roberts.
“It’s been a long time coming, just over 14 months it’s been and it feels so good. The reception from the fans was amazing.”
Roberts feels he has come back stronger from his injury and his time out has given him a lot of perspective.
“It makes you see how lucky you are because football is my life,” he commented.
“Your mind is all over the place. Seeing the same four walls in the gym every day is hard but you just have to grind it out because it’s your career at stake.
“There have been a lot of ups and downs. When it first happened it was the worst feeling ever but then throughout the journey there are a lot of different things you go through and it’s only made me stronger as a person.”
Roberts is now looking to build on his first appearance and has now set himself the target of eventually working his way back into the first team.
“It’s just about pushing my way in,” he said.
“I’m trying to get back into the first team now and play as many games as I can. I’ve got to play reserve games to get my match fitness back.
“It’s going to take time. I want us to keep getting results but I want to push someone out of the team.”