The hard work hasn’t stopped this summer for midfielder Marcus McGuane.
Having missed the second half of the season through injury Marcus is fighting back and, having signed permanently for the U’s from Nottingham Forest, he is well on target for a full return when the U’s report back for pre-season.
“It’s going well” he told us after a gruelling session on the track yesterday. “The track session was the hardest session so far: a series of 300 metre runs with the sun shining to make it even harder! But I felt good, I was pain free and it’s another really encouraging day.
“Obviously running on the track is nothing like the movement in a match but that will come. At the moment it is all about building up with the sports science and medical team, making sure we get the basics right, and then hopefully when we report back then I do it at full speed with everyone else.
“It was so frustrating for the season to end as it did but I knew it was a fairly long-term injury the moment I did it. But you learn all the time and I feel a lot more mature because of it. I’d never had an injury in my career and I’ve had to work hard to come back from it. Now I know I have the mental strength to cope with it, I know my body a lot more, and I know I have the resilience and determination to keep working and get myself fit again.
“I’ll get away with my family for a week, I hope, but the rest of the time I’ll be in. Sam Winnall and Sam Long have been in today as well and we have tried to push each other all the time. It was a really positive session and if all goes well then all three of us are aiming for that first testing day where we join up with the rest of the lads and prepare for a brand new season.”