Dons Player interview with winger
Andy Barcham can’t wait to be back involved in full training next week after making a good recovery from a serious knee injury – and he reckons it will be a big relief to the management team!
Speaking during an interview with Rob Cornell for Dons Player, Barcham (pictured) said he’s been a frustrated spectator at matches and, indeed, at training sessions.
But next week it will be different – and he says the true test of his recovery from an MCL knee injury will be a tackle from Barry Fuller in training!
Barcham said: “I think the manager has been a bit annoyed with me! As soon as I was allowed to run I was going back down to training and cheering on from the sidelines or having banter with the boys. The manager is probably relieved that I will be back involved now instead of ruining sessions! I cannot wait to get back out there. In terms of timescales for my return, I just have to wait and see what happens and take it training session by training session.
that is going to be a factor as well. “It’s just a case now of going into training next week and seeing how the knee reacts. It is hard to put time limits on things like that because it can change from one week to the next, but I feel good and strong. I have done a mini pre-season so hopefully it will not take me too long to get up to speed. With having a number of weeks out,
“Stuart Douglas said my injury had healed quicker than expected so it allowed us to do more strength work and start running earlier, which was great. It can easily change, but thankfully I have responded well to the running and the twisting and turning. Obviously, the boys have been giving everything, but it’s not nice when you are out and watching the game. You feel you are kicking every ball with them and you want to be out there.
“It’s been difficult, but I am happy now that I can maybe play a part in games and training, rather than just watching. The real test will be when I go back into training. Then I will be really stretching the knee and probably getting a whack from Barry Fuller! We will then see how the knee reacts, but hopefully all will be okay.”
Barcham wished to thank physio Stuart Douglas, his medical team, and volunteers who helped on the day when he was stretchered off against Morecambe.
“It was not a nice experience and it was probably the worst injury I have had in my career,” Barcham added. “At the time, I thought it was going to be really bad. Considering how it happened I thought it was going to be a lot worse. That helped keep my spirits up a little bit because I thought it could have been out for the whole season. I know it was one of those things, but I was really annoyed at the time. I know you can miss time tackles, but I thought I played the ball a good few seconds before he lunged into me so I was not happy with that.
In the first week I was angry and upset, but once I got my head around it I realised it could have been a lot worse.” Those involved calmed me down and they were in complete control of the situation. “The force of the tackle made my knee buckle and at the time I thought I may have broken my leg. Then I was given gas (Entonox) when the medical staff came on and I had never had that on the pitch before. I had never had to experience it before and being stretchered off was not great, but thankfully it was just an MCL. I have to thank everyone involved on the day for the treatment I received and the stretcher bearers for doing a good job.
The full eight-minute interview with Andy Barcham is now on Dons Player, along with an in-depth two part interview with physio Stuart Douglas.