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Josh Sheehan is determined to revive his Wales career after injury destroyed his World Cup dream and provoked the \u201cdark days\u201d that followed.<\/p>\n
Bolton midfielder Sheehan won his fourth Wales cap \u2013 and his first for two years \u2013 by coming on as a second-half substitute in the 0-0 friendly draw with South Korea on Thursday.<\/p>\n
It was reward for a tough journey that began on November 17, 2021 \u2013 a date inked in Sheehan\u2019s mind.<\/p>\n
\u201cAn FA Cup game against Stockport, I was running down the line against their full-back and he just gave me a little nudge,\u201d said the 28-year-old from Carmarthenshire.<\/p>\n
\u201cI felt something in my leg, and it just went. I went down for a second and then I carried on for five minutes, but every time I felt like turning it would give way.<\/p>\n
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\u201cI should have come off thinking about it now. But I\u2019m not the type of player to go down and go off, I\u2019d rather just try and get through.\u201d<\/p>\n
The reality was that Sheehan had ruptured an anterior cruciate ligament and would spend nine months out of the game.<\/p>\n
Sheehan\u2019s return to league football at Bolton came just weeks before Wales went to Qatar for their first World Cup in 64 years and time was against him to make Rob Page\u2019s squad.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cIt was a tough ask to come back and hit my peak straight away. A tough ask for any player.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s disappointing because sometimes a World Cup is a once in a lifetime thing, and there are a lot of dark days when you have that sort of injury.<\/p>\n
\u201cA dark day would be when the boys are all out training, and you\u2019re just watching from the side or you\u2019re in the gym.<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes I would literally be on my own because the physio would be with someone else \u2013 and it\u2019s such a long injury.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s no rush to get back, but you still have to do everything to the top level and perfect each section coming back from the injury.<\/p>\n
\u201cWatching games at 3pm on Saturday in the stands knowing you can\u2019t affect the game, that\u2019s probably the dark days mentally.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sheehan said he got through the rehabilitation process with the help of family and friends \u2013 \u201cI\u2019ve got a little daughter and that takes your mind away from football\u201d \u2013 and he eventually helped Bolton into the League One play-offs last season.<\/p>\n
Kicking on this term sealed the return of the Swansea product and former Newport player to the Wales squad during a vital stage of Euro 2024 qualification.<\/p>\n
Wales play Latvia in Riga on Monday knowing three points is essential to keep alive hopes of a top-two place in Group D.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow I was playing before the injury, I was doing as much as I could, scoring goals at Bolton,\u201d Sheehan said.<\/p>\n
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\u201cIt\u2019s disappointing (what happened), but you move on and use it as motivation.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe all know what we have to do in Latvia. We know what our game plan is, and as long as we stick to it, we know we\u2019re good enough to win.\u201d<\/p>\n