Saddlers midfielder Liam Kinsella is delighted to be back on the pitch after a difficult few months on the sidelines.
The 25-year-old made his first start since mid-September on Tuesday evening as Matt Taylor’s side bowed out of the Papa John’s Trophy with a 2-0 defeat to Sky Bet League One outfit Cambridge United.
With more than 80 minutes under his belt on Tuesday, Kinsella was pleased to be back in amongst the team and don the captain’s armband on the night.
“It felt really good to be back on the grass,” he continued.
“It’s been a difficult 2-3 months for me as it’s the first injury I’ve had in my career. It was tough to deal with but I kept my head down and battled through to try and get back as quickly as possible and be in the best possible shape for my return and I felt good physically on Tuesday.
“It was an honour to wear the captain’s armband as well. Having been at the club since the age of eight and progressing through the academy to then being named captain for the game was a proud moment for me and my thanks go to the gaffer for handing the responsibility over to me.”
Matt Taylor’s side were backed by 104 Saddlers fans in midweek and Kinsella is hoping they can reward them for their efforts on Saturday when we welcome Swindon Town to the Banks’s Stadium in the second round of the FA Cup.
“The fans have been excellent all season,” he said.
“They’ve put in some miles in recent weeks up and down the country and you can’t ask for much more.
“They’ve been behind us both home and away and unfortunately we didn’t give them the win that they thoroughly deserved on Tuesday.
“Saturday will be another tough game against a good side but hopefully we can turn up and give the fans the win on Saturday and get the Banks’s Stadium bouncing.”
Tickets are still avaialble for Saturday's FA Cup as the Saddlers look to earn a place in the Third Round.
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