Watmore patient in slow recovery

Duncan Watmore is hoping to return better than ever as he continues his long road back to full fitness.

In November the forward, who had 10-months out after injuring his left knee last December, suffered cruciate knee ligament injury for the second time ruling the 24-year-old out for another lengthy spell.

Watmore says there is no point feeling sorry for himself and is determined to come back a better player - but he won’t rush his comeback.

“You have to stay patient with it, that is the main battle with this injury, the staying patient side,” said Watmore.

“I feel good but I can’t rush it.

“You can always feel sorry for yourself, why did it happen again and all that but what is the point?

“I am still playing football for a living and still at Sunderland Football Club, I am in a very fortunate position so there is no point feeling sorry for myself.

“I have to make sure I get back. I want to get back better than I was before.”

After returning against Preston North End in September, Watmore featured regularly under former boss Simon Grayson and re-established himself as a key member of the firstteam squad.

But he suffered a recurrence of the cruciate knee ligament injury in the same knee against Millwall, the day before Chris Coleman took charge and the Sunderland boss said it had come as a massive blow both to him and the club as a whole.

Watmore is making good progress in his recovery.

Coleman said at the start of the year that he would do everything possible to keep Watmore in and around the first team picture as much as possible, the forward travelled with the squad to the Middlesbrough FA Cup defeat in January.

Coleman said. “That is important because he is out long-term. Duncan is a cracking kid, he really is a great boy.”