JACK FROM THE BRINK
Mccaffrey: Recovering from cruciate injury was the toughest thing I have done.. I had to go to some dark places
JACK MCCAFFREY has revealed how his comeback from injury took him to some “dark places”.
The 2015 Footballer of the Year’s rehabilitation from the cruciate knee ligament injury he suffered in last year’s All-ireland final is certainly complete after turning in a fivestar performance in Saturday’s easy defeat of Galway.
But it wasn’t all plain sailing in getting there, as the Dublin star explained yesterday.
“It’s hands down the toughest thing I’ve had to do in sport,” said Mccaffrey. “The hardest work I’ve ever had to put in but it’s been really, really rewarding and it’s great to have been involved in days like
Saturday and now leading up to a final knowing that you really put in a good shift to get there and that it’s coming to fruition.
“It’s just completely a different challenge for me. Like, usually I really enjoy football and there’s always a good buzz in training.
“You’re obviously working hard but it never feels like hard work.
“It’s just a good buzz with teammates and stuff whereas when you’re on your own in the gym and just meeting up with the physio to do a bit of running, it’s a very different challenge and you have to go to a bit of a dark place at times and power through it.
“It was the first time I’ve ever had to do that and, touch wood, the last but I think it’s really stood to me having had to do it.”
Mccaffrey referenced his comeback appearance for Clontarf as the most difficult moment.
“The hardest for me was when I got back playing.
“It’s so clear cut, the whole transition (during rehab): ‘So today you’ll squat and the next day you’ll dead-lift’ or whatever. You just tick the boxes.
“Then I went to play against Fingallians for Clontarf and I was only playing a half. I came on at half-time and I was just brutal. I was really upset.
“I’d be so excited and it’s always in the back of your head, thinking that you’ll come back and score 3-6 or something and it’d just be great and it did not happen like that at all.
“Looking back on it, if you’re being realistic about things it was always going to take a while
to get back but at that time, I still had a bit of work to do on my fitness but I also wanted to be playing and getting back in the frame for team selection.
“So there’s a slight danger that you can fall between two stools there and I found that really challenging. But we have some great guys involved with the management team who kind of had a chat with me and we got through it alright.”
Judging by Saturday’s display, he doesn’t appear to have lost any of his searing pace, something which is often affected following a cruciate injury.
“My strength would be running with the ball. I mean, Paul Mannion (inset) would be quicker than I would be in terms of pure going.
“I feel as quick as I was. It was something I was worried about and it’s only when you get out here [in Croke Park] and you get a ball in your hand and you just go that you finally feel it’s there again and you’re back.”