Football Hare pleased with his progress after serious knee injury
SERIOUS knee injuries can often prove to be careerdefining moments for professional footballers. Some bounce back hungrier than ever, while others are unable to recover and are never quite the same.
Bristol Rovers wing-back Josh Hare tore his anterior cruciate ligament 13 months ago and has now worked his way back into the starting line-up with a series of superb performances.
“I think a lot of players would worry, coming back from a knee injury like that, possibly that you’re not going to be the same player as you were before or have the same physical attributes”, the Hare told the press after the Gas’ 1-1 draw with Burton Albion on Saturday. “But before the injury, I knew I was never the quickest in the world, so I learned to deal without some of the physical aspects of the game, such as using the ball well and playing my game, so I’m just happy to be back in the team on a consistent basis.”
Hare - who suffered a similar knee injury in 2015 - impressed yet again on Saturday, delivering some fine crosses from the rightflank as Rovers let a one-goal lead slip in the closing stages, and the 26-year-old says he has Ben Garner to thank for easing him into the team off the back of his injury.
“I think the gaffer’s been very clever in the way that he’s used me, especially with quite a strenuous pre-season and there are obviously quite a few games coming up in the next few weeks, so I’m pleased to be involved now and hopefully I’ll keep myself in the side.”
After months of rehab, Hare says although the lockdown enforced in March was difficult as it extended his time without football, it probably benefited him in the long-term.
He said: “There were two things for me during the lockdown, one being a positive and that was that there was more time for me to recover and get things right but then you’ve also got to consider that I was out for a whole year.
“The knee feels great now, not many people know but during lockdown I had to have a little screw taken out of my knee and that’s made all the difference. I’m literally in no pain whatsoever, which is the nicest thing.” The wing-back has been a breath of fresh air since coming back into the first team, registering an assist last weekend at Lincoln City for flat-mate James Daly and proving a threat down the right-hand side at all times.
“James is a great lad”, Hare laughs as he’s asked about his relationship with Daly - who scored for the second consecutive game on Saturday.
“He had a flat and asked me to join and we’re both professional lads, so I think it’s the perfect makeup for us. He’s done great since coming into the team and I’m sure he’ll keep that scoring run going.”
The 26-year-old also says the mentality of the team has come on leaps and bounds since the new season started, with other sides in the division taking notice of Rovers’ improvements.
“I mean no disrespect to the team last year but there were occasions where we were just more on the back foot whereas I think we’re more on the front foot this year,” said Hare.
“You see teams are almost coming here and just sitting in and being happy with a point which is unheard of but good from our point of view.
“But then we’ve got to learn how to break that down and then get a positive result out of it.”
Rovers let two points slip against Burton thanks to a clumsy spell which set in almost immediately after taking the lead seven minutes into the second half, and Hare admits it was a frustrated Gas dressing room on Saturday evening.
“We’re disappointed first and foremost, we went 1-0 up and we should see the game out, it’s obviously annoying that it’s from another set-piece as well, but at the same time there are a lot of positives to take. We’re four unbeaten if you’re including the cup and we should’ve come away with three points, we know that but there’s a positive outlook on it.
“We’ve got the opportunity on Tuesday (against Shrewsbury) to go again and it then becomes a good point if we put three more on the board in the week.”
The knee feels great now, not many people know but during lockdown I had to have a little screw taken out of my knee and that’s made all the difference