Tom Parkes has ended his 522-day injury hell – but admitted that he is frustrated at not picking up the points on his return.
The 30-year-old centre-back made his return to first-team action as a late substitute in Livi’s 2-0 away loss to Kilmarnock last weekend for his first appearance since December 2021.
The former Exeter City and Bristol Rovers man has dealt with a knee injury which required surgery, while regular inflammation has halted his comeback attempts.
However, he finally got to cross the white line again at Rugby Park – something that he didn’t think would happen this term.
He said: “I am very happy to be in and around it with the boys, but the most important thing was trying to get the three points.
“I know we have not got it [the points] but for me I’m just delighted to be back on the pitch and getting some minutes. It feels amazing.
“The reserve games have been fantastic for me – trying to get up to speed with my fitness – but I was delighted to get the call on Saturday, even with the result I feel like it’s a good achievement for myself.”
He added: “Being around the boys again is fantastic. I did not even think that I would be back playing this season, but I’ve worked hard to try and get minutes and it’s working well. It’s helping me build ahead of pre-season.”
The veteran will be entering the final year of his contract next term and Lions boss David Martindale admitted that he will need to be cautious for the remainder of the campaign with pre-season being the priority for the defender.
The gaffer said: “It was nice to get him back on the park and playing first-team football. He had played 90 minutes in a reserve game on the Wednesday and actually, ideally, I was wanting to give him more minutes against Kilmarnock.
“He has put a lot of hard work in and it’s great to see him back playing.
“But I am at the stage with him where I need him to have a full pre-season. I want to help him as much as possible in terms of game time but I’m cautious of tipping him over the edge because he has been out for so long.
“It’s a balance between trying to look after him but also trying to give him that light at the end of the tunnel.”
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