West Ham's Joey O'Brien delighted to be back in the fold
Monday 1 February 2016 17:13, UK
Joey O'Brien wants to put his latest injury nightmare behind him and play a role in West Ham's push for Europe.
The 29-year-old full-back has been sidelined for virtually the whole season with an ankle injury, but made his comeback as a first-half substitute for James Tomkins in Saturday's 0-0 FA Cup draw at Liverpool.
With Tomkins doubtful due to the head injury he suffered at Anfield, O'Brien could be handed his first Premier League start of the campaign when sixth-placed West Ham host struggling Aston Villa on Tuesday evening.
"It was great to be back on the pitch," he told West Ham TV. "It's been a long time since I played in the Europa League games in the summer, and going to a place like Anfield is what it's all about.
"Getting on earlier than I even dreamed of was nice. Over the years I've had some bad times, and people were saying 'you haven't played in a long time', but I had two-and-a-half years without playing before.
"People forget that, but I don't and I take inspiration from that time that I missed. Six months is nothing, really, but it is great to come back.
"I hurt my ankle in a practice game against Crystal Palace and thought nothing of it at the time.
"It was a lot worse than we thought and it lingered on, but it's over now and playing these games is what you do the rehab for."
