Luke McCullough says battling back from two previous anterior cruciate ligament injuries has helped him deal with his most recent setback.
The former Northern Ireland international suffered a serious knee injury whilst playing for Doncaster Rovers back in 2016, and three years later McCullough experienced another long programme of rehabilitation with a similar issue whilst on loan at Tranmere Rovers.
It was a devastating blow for the Portadown native, but it was an experience which has stood him in good stead as he suffered another injury nightmare last season.
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The 28-year-old was in great form with current club Glentoran but his season came to an abrupt end in the 4-0 win over Ballymena United last November as he was stretchered off after suffering another ACL injury, this time on his right knee.
It was a tough time for McCullough, but he admitted having the support of his family and friends around him during his recovery this time has helped his rehabilitation as he made return to action on Monday night playing for Glentoran Under-20s.
“It’s lovely to be back preparing for a game, get some minutes on the pitch and come through it unscathed is a good first step,” said the defender.
“It’s been 11 months but I’ve been there before and knew what to expect with each step.
“I knew what was going to be on the road to recovery but it hasn’t fazed me because I’ve been there before.
“I’ve been training with the lads for a few weeks or last month or so and I’ve been able to build myself up.
“Having my friends and family around and being at home has probably made it a bit easier this time, certainly that side of it was easier than being in England.
“At the same time, I was playing well at the time when I got the injury, so that didn’t make it any easier to deal with.
“It was the left knee before, but it was the right knee this time but it was the same sort of ACL rupture.
“I went straight in for the surgery; they replaced the snapped ligament with a bit from the patella tendon on the front of the knee and used that as the new anterior cruciate ligament.
“It then obviously takes time for it to strengthen but you can do things straight away to help.”
The Glens have made an impressive start to this current campaign including their 3-0 win at Linfield last week.
McCullough admitted he's not the best at watching on from the stands, but with his teammates in such sparkling form he's happy to bide his time and wait before making a return to first team action.
“I don’t really enjoy watching games but it had to be done to support the lads," he said.
“To be honest, I have turned into a bit of a fan, shouting abuse when I’ve been watching matches.
“The lads are flying which means I didn’t need to rush back and that is definitely better for me and the club."
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