Fit-again Hare is relishing return
SERIOUS knee injuries can often prove to be careerdefining moments in time for professional footballers.
Some bounce back hungrier than ever, while others are unable to recover or are never quite the same again.
Bristol Rovers wing-back Josh Hare tore his anterior cruciate ligament 13 months ago and has now worked his way back into the Rovers 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”, Hare said after Rovers’ 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 cope 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 right flank as Rovers let a one-goal lead slip in the closing stages, and the 26-year-old says he has boss Ben Garner to thank for easing him into the team after his injury.
“I think the gaffer’s been very clever in the way that he’s used me, especially with a strenuous pre-season.
“There are 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 rehabilitation, 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 continued: “There were two things for me during 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 now and 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 team, registering an assist last weekend at Lincoln for flatmate James Daly and proving a threat down the right-hand side.
“He’s (Daly) a great lad”, Hare laughs as he is asked about his relationship Daly, who scored for the second consecutive game on Saturday. “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,” Hare said.
“You see that 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 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 early in the second half, and Hare admits it was a frustrated 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 (EFL Trophy) and we should’ve come away with three points today, 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.”
Rovers have every chance of extending their current unbeaten run with fellow mid-table side Shrewsbury having won only once in five League games this season – although that was at Wimbledon on Saturday.
Elsewhere in League One, Swindon, who have lost their last three games, play at Northampton, who have lost their last four.