AS Derry City prepare to bring the curtain down on their league season at the Brandywell this Friday night, Conor McDermott is already looking ahead to next year as he continues his long-term recovery from a hip injury.
The Northern Ireland U21 went through an operation last month to fix an ongoing hip problem that had been bothering the player for several years.
Not sure whether to go ahead with the operation at the start of the year, McDermott and the club decided to take a different approach. With a new treatment on offer, there was a slight possibility that McDermott could avoid a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
However, with hip pain recurring a short time into the 2018 campaign, Derry City’s medical staff and the player made the decision to go under the knife once and for all – an operation that ‘went well’ according to McDermott.
“The hip injury had been going on for a couple of years but it has only come on the last year or so and we were managing it towards the end of last season, then the first day of pre-season I still didn’t feel right,” he said.
“So, the club and myself were thinking about going ahead with the operation in January, but we didn’t and we went with a new injection that came about, we thought we would try that and see how it would do.
“And to be fair, it worked for a while because I was getting through games all right, but it just kind of wore off and I just couldn’t see out a game, I was too sore, I wasn’t training and stuff throughout the year.
“It was a bit of nightmare but looking back I probably should have gone ahead and got the operation done and dusted in January and I would’ve been back playing, now fully fit.”
The full-back admitted that the niggly injury was affecting his game several ways, including his running, which he admitted was bringing him the most pain.
“I had the confidence in my own ability and I thought I could do a job for the team, not the job they wanted me to do, but I wanted to prove that I could still play week in and week out, which I was doing but I just wasn’t the same player.
“It was affecting different parts of my game, which consists of a lot running and that was the one that was bringing on the most pain when I was doing high spriting – so I wasn’t getting the most out of a performance.
“I found myself having to pace myself through games because If I went full throttle in the first half I would have to go off after half an hour. I just wasn’t at the level I knew I could be if I didn’t have the injury.”
The 21-year-old admitted it has been frustrating to watch his teammates over the last months, knowing he could be making a bigger impact on the field.
“It has been, especially missing big matches and the short-run through Europe. When I have watched games this season and we’ve been beaten, I always thought to myself, I could have been out there helping the boys to get the results that we need.
“Missing the cup final was a big blow too and there were mixed emotions during that game.
“I was buzzing for the boys, Kenny (Shiels) and the club that we finally won a trophy, but on the other side I was disheartened knowing that could have been me out celebrating and lifting the trophy with all the boys.”
McDermott is currently undergoing a strict and manageable fitness program which has the aim of getting the player fully fit for the Candy Stripes by pre-season.
“My aim now going into next season is to get a year without any injuries because I know that I am good enough to play across the water, it is just about getting that bit of luck, a good run of games and getting people out to watch you play.
“But I just want to focus on Derry more than anything now, to be honest. I have to get myself right and play 90 minutes as much as I can next year.”
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