Sunderland defender Jordan Willis has admitted that his year out of football has been a 'rollercoaster of a ride' as he aims to return to action as soon as possible.
The 27-year-old sustained a rupture in his patella tendon during the Black Cats' trip to Shrewsbury Town in February 2021.
It had been understood that the injury was going to keep Willis out for around six months, allowing him to be back fit and available for the start of the new season.
However, a second rupture during surgery was a major setback, ruling out any chance that Willis would feature until at least the summer of 2022 - a huge blow to his career.
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Posting on his Instagram account – alongside a photo of him playing for Sunderland last campaign – Willis wrote: "Over a year without playing football…
"Been a rollercoaster of a ride physically and mentally so far but we keep striving towards that end goal."
It has been a frustrating 12 months for Willis, who has had to deal with a number of different problems and issues which has got him to this stage in his recovery.
The centre-back joined Sunderland from Coventry City in 2019 and has made 50 League One appearances throughout his time at the Stadium of Light and helped win the EFL Trophy last campaign.
He also played 208 matches for the Sky Blues, winning the League Two play-offs and was a mainstay in their surge through the division's before promotion to the Championship.
Former Sunderland boss Lee Johnson spoke about Willis and outlined how he's still been involved despite not being able to play.
Speaking in October of last year, Johnson said: "He'll come into the tactical analysis, for example, that we do pre and post match.
"He's always a part of it, lending his experience for the rest of the players. We've dabbled and talked about finding things for him to do, potentially scouting players and the opposition.
"Niall Huggins is another one where we've been looking for ways we can keep them engaged mentally while they're out for that sustained period."
