Bolton Wanderers midfielder Stu Holden now sees light at the end of the tunnel.
The 26-year-old is on the final leg of his recovery from a knee cartilage operation.
"A lot of people have asked me when I'll be back playing and I don't have a definitive answer," he told the Bolton News. "I'm not really worried about that because my focus is all about making sure I'm fully fit once I do get back on to the pitch."