Louis Thompson says he is buzzing to be back after almost two years out injured.
Thompson, who came on against West Bromwich Albion before playing the full 90 minutes in the Carabao Cup against Stevenage, hadnât played since making his first Championship start against Leeds United in November 2016. He was first sidelined by a pelvic injury before twice rupturing his Achilles within a space of six months.
Following surgery and a lengthy spell of rehab, Thompson enjoyed a good pre-season and is looking to kick on and remind everyone why he was so highly rated when City signed him from Swindon Town in 2014.
Speaking to OTBC, our official matchday programme, Thompson said the reception he received when he came on against West Brom was fantastic.
âIt was a goosebump moment for me,â he said. âThe fans have been brilliant with me. Itâs not easy when youâre out for so long because you can be forgotten, and people can be a bit like âwhatâs this guy doingâ? Itâs been a tough time so Iâve been thankful for the faith and trust the fans have shown in me and Iâm hopeful I can repay that.â
Thompson, 23, was described as being âlike a new signingâ by Daniel Farke in pre-season, and he admits heâs surprised himself with how well his comeback has gone so far.
âWith the injuries Iâve had, I think it was normal for me to expect some sort of pain,â he said. âBut I havenât had any and Iâve felt good and strong, and Iâve felt fit. So I think my goal heading into pre-season was to get through it and present myself in the best way possible to the manager. I wasnât naĂŻve â I knew there was a possibility I may go out on loan to get some game time after being out for two years.
âFor me to have come in and be involved as I have has been a surprise for me. I wasnât expecting it at the start of pre-season, but even from the first session I felt a lot better than I thought I would. I felt sharp, and my mind wasnât as slow as I thought it was going to be. Iâm loving every minute of being back on the football pitch.â
Thompson was full of praise for the physios and the sports scientists who have seen him through his long recovery, as well as Stuart Webber and Daniel Farke.
âStuart has been fantastic, and the manager has been absolutely fantastic with me this pre-season. It would have been easy for him to make me train each and every session, but heâs trusted the staff and myself to miss a few sessions where I needed a break to allow my Achilles to adapt and now Iâm able to be there in every session and train at 100%. Hopefully now I can keep going and improving.â
You can read the full seven-page interview with Louis Thompson in Saturdayâs OTBC, which is just ÂŁ3 for 108 pages of brilliant content. If you canât make the game, you can buy it HERE.